Expert: The geopolitical games in the South Caucasus are now being  held with the involvement of Ukraine as well

ArmInfo.The geopolitical games in the South Caucasus are now being held with the involvement of Ukraine as well. And the main players, the centers of power and the  countries of the region themselves, continue to play, maneuver and  try to get preferences, each in their own field and within their own  capabilities. Head of Caucasus Department of the CIS Institute,  Military Expert Vladimir Evseev, expressed a similar opinion to  ArmInfo.

"Baku, in particular, periodically tries to pedal and aggravate the  situation with the deployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent  in Karabakh. Knowing full well that their deployment in itself  guarantees the preservation of the unrecognized republic, Azerbaijan  is extremely interested in their speedy withdrawal. We also  understand that the allied Russia's relations with Azerbaijan do not  at all rule out the existence of significant problems," he said.

In this light, the expert highlighted the provision of assistance to  Ukraine by certain individuals from the administration of Ilham  Aliyev. Noting Aliyev's desire to put pressure on the Russian  Federation at this very moment, when Moscow is busy with Ukraine, as  quite understandable, Evseev stressed that Aliyev's behavior cannot  lead to any radical changes. The expert is convinced that Russia's  position is unchanged - peacekeepers will be in Artsakh as long as  there are Armenians there.  Commenting on another Caucasian case -  the intensification of the process of normalizing relations between  Armenia and Turkey, Evseev assumed that Ankara's activity in  relations with Yerevan may be due to its dissatisfaction with the  agreement on allied cooperation signed by Azerbaijan and the Russian  Federation. According to him, it is Baku's attempts to balance  between Moscow and Ankara that are the main motivator for the  latter's attempts to become more active in the Armenian direction. Of  course, along the way, trying to weaken the military presence of the  Russian Federation in the region, in particular, to remove from  Armenia the 102nd RMB in Gyumri established to restrain Turkey.  

"At the same time, I personally do not see any prospects for a real  normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey, the  establishment of diplomatic relations, the opening of borders.  Turkey's hostile attitude towards Armenia will not disappear.  Accordingly, everything that is happening today is nothing more than  a forced imitation, just a process in which each of the players  pursues hisher own goals. It should also be noted that, for example,  the supply of Turkish weapons to Kiev can seriously affect its  relations with Moscow. In particular, becoming the cause of a new  round of tension in regions of mutual interest for Moscow and  Ankara," he stressed. 

Commenting on the position of Armenia, Evseev characterized the  prospect of Armenia's movement to the West as an alternative to  allied relations with the Russian Federation as extremely doubtful.  In this light, he gave the example of Ukraine "abandoned by the  Americans", forced to try to cope with the situation solely on its  own. According to the expert, the example of Ukraine for Armenia  indicates only one thing: the United States and Europe will  definitely not fight for Armenia and Armenians.