ArmInfo.The morning of July 28 began for Armenia with information about the next shelling, assassinations and attacks on our combat positions and villages initiated by Azerbaijan. After Syunik, Ararat and Tavush, the Gegharkunik region of our country once again became the target of enemy aggression. According to the information of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Armenia Arman Tatoyan, as of the morning of July 28, the Azerbaijani military conducted targeted shelling of the villages of Kut and Upper Shorzha.
Several Armenian soldiers have already become the next victims of the next manifestation of Azerbaijani aggression. The Armenian army, according to the Ministry of Defense, took all the necessary actions in response to protect the country's borders and as of 09:20 am the enemy was thrown back to its original positions. Without a doubt, the next terror against the residents of Gegharkunik initiated by the military- political leadership of Azerbaijan and the murders of our military are an inseparable part of the policy of Baku's pressure on Yerevan. The purpose of the pressure is obvious - the signing of a "peace" treaty by Armenia with a special mention in it of Artsakh as part of the territory of Azerbaijan. The second wish of Mr. Aliyev is to get an extraterritorial corridor through the territory of Armenia to connect Azerbaijan with the exclave of Nakhichevan. Here, the irreplaceable president of the Absheron monarchy is obviously haunted by the dubious laurels of Adolf Hitler, who attacked Poland and unleashed World War II after the Poles refused to provide him with the "Danzig Corridor" for Germany's land connection with East Prussia. It is important to note that all these processes, from the signing of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 to the present day, are supervised and moderated by one country - Russia. The rest of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries: the United States and France are practically not present in the process. And it is Moscow that is the guarantor of the implementation of this statement. The sole guarantor. A statement in which there is not a single word, neither about the status of Artsakh, nor about the provision of an extraterritorial corridor to Azerbaijan to satisfy the Hitlerite ambitions of its lifetime ruler. In this light, Moscow's agreement to ensure security in the "Zangezur Corridor" looks remarkable, that is, in fact, to take part of the sovereign territory of Armenia under its own sole control. In fact, pushing MG partners into the background, it was Moscow that assumed sole responsibility for the implementation of all nine points of the statement. Meanwhile, there are still up to 200 Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan, Baku refuses to unblock communications, makes demands that have nothing to do with November 9 and continues to conduct hostilities against Armenia.
And finally, after the signing of the statement, the Azerbaijani military invaded and continue to remain on the territory of Armenia in Syunik and Gegharkunik. So, Russia not only does not fulfill its own obligations as a guarantor of the fulfillment of the trilateral agreements of November 9, but also does not want, or cannot, underline as appropriate, to fulfill even its own bilateral obligations to Armenia. Whether we like to admit it or not, it is a fact. Obligations to ensure the security of Armenia, assumed by the treaty of 1995. Obligations within the framework of Armenia's membership in the CSTO. A non-aligned country that does not have any security agreements with Russia is shelling the territory of Armenia, sending drones there, killing and kidnapping citizens, in response to which Moscow prefers to remain silent. Publicly. And we can only guess what is happening in the non-public space: at Putin's meetings with Pashinyan and Aliyev, at Shoigu's meetings with Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts. Nevertheless, judging by the results of all these meetings - new shelling and new killings on the border, it seems possible to assume that Armenia cannot expect anything good from a strategic ally. Moscow's inability or unwillingness to fulfill its own obligations to Yerevan is an indisputable fact.
It would be a rather suicidal scenario for Armenia to continue, against the background of new murders and the seizure of new territories, negotiations with Azerbaijan through the mediation of Russia and within the framework of the format proposed by Russia. Negotiating, signing a peace treaty at gunpoint is nothing more than suicide for the Armenian statehood. More precisely, for what was left of it after the processes that began on October 27, 1999. To give up the right to seek the status of Artsakh, which is stipulated by the "Madrid principles", is equal to suicide. And finally, it would be a suicide to give the aggressive mini- sultanate a part of its territory in order to link it with the even more aggressive Erdogan's Turkey. Continuing to act within the framework of the logic imposed by Azerbaijan, Turkey and Russia, Armenia becomes like a person who is waist-deep in a swamp. Without taking any action to get out of this geopolitical quagmire, we will slowly but surely plunge into it until our statehood finally drowns in this swamp. Yes, this process will last for years, perhaps decades, but remaining in a position with crossed arms, sooner or later we will completely disappear into this geopolitical swamp. All the latest statements and actions of the European Union, the United States, the EU and US ambassadors in Armenia, the approved, unprecedented financial assistance to Armenia, are thin, but still, a reed extended to us. It is up to us to decide whether we try to get out of the swamp by grasping this reed, or whether we prefer to continue sinking slowly but surely,. The West is not at all interested in the next Russian-Turkish division of Armenia and, at least in this, the interests of the West coincide with the interests of Armenia. Meanwhile, the interests of Armenia do not coincide with the interests of Russia. At least, starting with the appearance of the "Lavrov plan" on the Artsakh negotiating table. How the country should behave in relation to a strategic ally that has such a divergence of interests with an ally is a truly rhetorical question. "In response to Azerbaijan's forceful encroachment on the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Armenia uses all military-political tools in accordance with international law," the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, circulated on the morning of July 28, reads. This statement seems to be very pertinent. However, only if it is followed by concrete actions of Yerevan. Moscow's inability to fulfill its own obligations to Armenia within the framework of bilateral, trilateral and multilateral agreements is evident. That should be worthy of a logical response from Yerevan, at least in the form of an appeal to the UN Security Council demanding an emergency meeting. And as a maximum, an appeal to France with a package of proposals regarding the participation of Paris in ensuring the security of our country. This is exactly what the French Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacote had in mind when translated from diplomatic into simple language. And this proposal was voiced very clearly. Even for us.
And finally, last but not least. Even by signing a suicidal, "peace" treaty with Azerbaijan at gunpoint, we will not find peace. Given the balance of power that has developed as a result of the 44-day war, this is simply impossible. The killings on the border will continue, followed by new demands from the presumptuous king and his masters. It is possible to stop aggression against Armenia and the Armenian people only through the formation of a new geopolitical balance in the region. With the participation of at least the European Union represented by France, as well as the United States. Iran and China may well play a certain role in all this. This is a tricky but quite possible scenario. Armenia has already paid instead of Russia and to Russia the price for the right to implement such a scenario. With the blood of our guys and the territories of Artsakh. As it was done by Georgia and Ukraine. And today it has the right to demand that Moscow strictly observe all the obligations it has undertaken before Yerevan, without exception. At least. The only alternative is the formation of a new geopolitical balance in the South Caucasus. Diplomatically, through negotiations. The European Union has already announced the willingness in participation in it. P.S. Moscow's proposal to end the attack on Armenia, accepted by Azerbaijan, will not return the dead Armenian servicemen. This is another half-measure, leading to another murder and terror against the population of Armenia, still friendly to Russia. Russia is obliged to fulfill all its own obligations to Armenia without exception. If it still wants to maintain its own presence on the southern side of the Caucasus Range. Russia is obliged to fulfill its own obligations, and Armenia is obliged to demand their unswerving fulfillment. We no longer intend to pay with our blood for the criminal interests of other countries.