Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Ukraine is fighting not only for itself but also for the independence of post-Soviet countries, including Armenia. Perhaps, given the difficult situation Ukraine is in, the only role left for the Ukrainian president is to present himself as a “liberator of nations.” How other nations choose to view that image is for them to decide, but there is no need to try to “sell” that image to the Armenian people.
Ukraine today is not even fighting for its own independence, let alone for Armenia’s. It is fighting for the geopolitical agendas of its military-political and economic sponsors, for the profits of the military-industrial complex, and for the security and financial interests of Volodymyr Zelensky and his inner circle.
As for Armenia, the question of Armenia’s independence—and the means of safeguarding it—rests exclusively in Armenia’s own hands. It depends on the level of preparedness and awareness of Armenia’s political elites and society. Ideally, those qualities should be such that Armenia is never forced to secure or maintain its independence through war, although one of the most important prerequisites for that is always being prepared for war. Another crucial condition and guarantee is avoiding becoming an instrument in the conflicts or confrontations of competing centers of power.
This is precisely why the qualities, mindset, worldview, and perception of reality among the country’s elites—especially the ruling elite—are of critical importance, as is a high level of public awareness.
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In this context, the quality of social relations and the value-based architecture on which they are built are also essential. If a country’s leadership relies on deepening social polarization and fostering intolerance—especially extreme intolerance—between different segments of society in order to remain in power, then that state cannot seriously aspire to genuine independence. In such circumstances, any external actor will claim the right to “sell” the image of a “liberator” to Armenian society.
Hakob BADALYAN
