“Aravot’s” interviewee is Ukrainian political scientist, Yevgeni Magda
– Washington has already published so-called Kremlin report, which includes not only Russian officials and businessmen but also Ukrainians, Armenians, who are closely related with the Russian authorities. The reason for all this is Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, interference in the domestic affairs of foreign countries, human rights violation and the encouragement of human rights violation in other countries. What will this change within Russia’s politics overall?
– There are a set of factors to which we should pay attention. I think that the first is the fact, that the publication of that report has become an unpleasant incident and they endeavor to gradually lower, that is – show how less importance it has. Manifold publications have been in place dedicated to that topic, including that in case of businessmen, it is simply a “Forbes” list, and in the case of the authorities, it is a telephone book. However, in reality here we speak of not directly about sanctions, the sanctions have not been implemented in the result of the report, here we speak about the demonstration of the position relative to the Russian authorities by the American authorities. And because of this the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov has appeared in the list, although, the ministers of foreign affairs are usually left beyond the reports. I think the Russian authorities will try to use that report for consolidating their positions, but anyway, people who have appeared in that list have nothing to lose any longer, but it will be very difficult.
– What influence will it have on Russia’s policy in the post-Soviet territory overall and Ukraine in particular?
– Russia is not going to make any concessions in the post-Soviet territory, it is completely evident. And moreover, it will not happen until the elections of the Russian president, which has been set on March 18. As known, it is the day of the legal “registration” of Crimea’s annexation. This is why there can be no word about concessions. Furthermore, Russia will try to bring CSTO, EAEU member post-Soviet states closer to it and shift of policy towards Armenia is more possible than Ukraine, in my opinion.
– How?
– I think that Russia will demand from its colleagues in the post-Soviet area to support its actions on international platforms more persistently. Despite such support is usually in place during the voting for or against the bills in the United Nations, now Russia will demand more from its colleagues and particularly in the OSCE and the Council of Europe, where the fight for the return of the Russian Delegation to the PACE still goes on and it is even possible it will demand more within the bilateral relations with Ukraine and the United States.
– It is a well-known fact that Russia arms Azerbaijan, moreover, by weapons for attacks, it gives Armenia defensive types of weapons in return. They say, they keep the balance, but we understand that Russia nourishes a future war by that. Which is the possible scenario of the further developments, in your opinion?
– Regardless of the fact that Karabakh issue is not in the limelight of the attention within the public consciousness, Ukraine encompassed, I think for Armenia and Azerbaijan it is a sharp topic. And respectively, by selling weapons with rather a high price, Russia at least deprives itself from the right to criticize the United States of supplying Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine and Georgia. I think in Russia they are very well conscious that the quote by Anton Chekhov which states that “If there is a gun hanging on the wall in the first act, it must fire in the last”, is might, unfortunately, work in the Caucasus and Russia does it with an explicit intention, to perform as a peacemaker and reconcile the nations continuing hostile relations. It will reconcile them for its own interests, of course. This is a part of Russia’s extensive geopolitical game, as well as the illusions of enlarging its influence on the politics in the post-Soviet territory.
Ami CHICHAKYAN
