Wednesday, November 4 2020 10:25

ArmInfo. Kiev is on the verge of a major scandal with Baku. And all - because of the tacit decision of Volodymyr Zelenskyy to suspend the implementation of the  contract between Ukrspetsexport and Azerbaijan for the supply of  components for P-18 radar stations.  According to ZN.UA, citing  sources, Zelensky gave the order to suspend the implementation of the  contract with Azerbaijan orally about a month ago, after Baku  launched a military campaign against Nagorno- Karabakh.

The source writes that the agreement itself does not provide for the  supply of weapons (as, indeed, the other four contracts concluded  with the Azerbaijanis by Ukrspetsexport and Ukrinmash in 2017-2018,  and which the Ukrainian side has either actually fulfilled or is  fulfilling), Baku is not under the UN arms embargo, and Kiev supports  the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

"Therefore, there are all formal grounds for continuing to fulfill  the deal concluded with this South Caucasian state. Finally, in 2014,  Ukraine itself was in a situation reminiscent of the current one in  Azerbaijan. And the continuation of military-technical cooperation  with Azerbaijan would be a real demonstration of the strategic  partnership between Kiev and Baku," the source said. ...  "As follows  from the explanations of our interlocutors, not only the presence of  a significant Armenian diaspora in Ukraine, one of whose influential  representatives - Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, is a member of the  government, played a role. Not only fear of possible mass protests on  its part: although, as the president admits Azerbaijani Ilham Aliyev,  the main supplier of weapons to his country - Russia, Armenians  believe that Ukraine is arming the Azerbaijani army.Not only concern  about the safety of Ukrainians in Armenia, Zelensky's position was  also influenced by the reaction of France and the United States,  dissatisfied with the actions of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

However, it is not entirely clear why Zelensky, having decided to  suspend the supply of Ukrainian components for the radar, also did  not suspend the repair of Azerbaijani MiG-29 and L-39 aircraft at the  Lviv and Chuguev aircraft repair plants. Our interlocutors also found  it difficult to explain the reason for this.  Vice Prime Minister,  Minister for Strategic Industries Oleg Urusky and Foreign Minister  Dmitry Kuleba were orally informed about the President's decision.  Urusky, who is in charge of the defense industry, had to give the  appropriate instructions to the heads of Ukroboronprom and  Ukrspetsexport, Igor Fomenko and Vadim Nozdra. But at the end of  October, with a little help from Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, the  President learned that his decision to suspend the contract with  Azerbaijan had not been fulfilled:  Ukrspetsexport sent an aircraft  to this country with components for the P-18. A scandal erupted,  "writes ZN.UA.  It also notes, citing sources, that a meeting was  held at the OP last Saturday with the participation of Vladimir  Zelensky, Andrey Ermak, Oleg Urusky, Dmitry Kuleba, as well as Igor  Fomenko. The agenda included eternal questions: "Who is to blame?"  and "what to do?" f the fact that the ignorance by the head of state  and his office of bureaucratic procedures for drawing up decisions  made gives officials and managers of state companies legal grounds  not to comply with them, "writes ZN.UA.  It is worth noting that  earlier in the Armenian segment of the Internet, Zelensky and Ukraine  were harshly criticized for supplying weapons to Azerbaijan,  including those containing phosphorus and which are used in the war  against Nagorno-Karabakh. Zelenskiy categorically rejected  accusations of Kiev selling phosphorus weapons Baku.