Russia takes charge of Nagorno-Karabakh

January 18, 2021Leave a comment

16 January 2021 — Indian Punchline

M.K. Bhadrakumar

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) met Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev (C) and Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan (L), Moscow, Jan. 11, 2021

The trilateral meeting of the leaderships of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Kremlin on January 11, exactly two months after the ceasefire in the 44-day Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, can be seen as a robust push by Moscow to consolidate its diplomatic achievement so far. The ceasefire has gained traction and this is the opportune moment for Russia to flesh out other aspects that were agreed upon between the three countries on November 10 in Moscow.

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France challenges Russian peacekeeping in Caucasus

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020Leave a comment

20 November 2020 — Indian Punchline

A Russian peacekeeper patrols at checkpoint outside Askeran, Nagorno-Karabakh, November 19, 2020. (AFP Photo)

M.K. Bhadrakumar

The trilateral agreement on November 10 between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia over Nagorno-Karabakh is leading to a geopolitical struggle in the Caucasus. So long as Armenia and Azerbaijan were ferociously fighting, the great game lurked in the shade.

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Historical undercurrents in Nagorno-Karabakh

November 19, 2020November 19, 2020Leave a comment

18 November 2020 — Indian Punchline

M.K. Bhadrakumar

Armenian cemetery (1579) in Surat, India. 16th century onwards, Armenians from Iran formed an important trading community in Surat port city which had sea borne trade with Bandar Abbas.

The analysts focusing on the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis through the prism of regional politics fail to factor in that the Caucasus comprises ancient peoples. The Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted this in remarks to the media in Moscow yesterday when he brushed aside the perception that Moscow could be harbouring a grudge against Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, who came to power through a ‘colour revolution’ in 2018.

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Putin creates conditions for ending bloodshed in Caucasus

November 12, 2020November 12, 2020Leave a comment

12 November 2020 — Indian Punchline

M.K. Bhadrakumar

Armenian soldiers ride a car passing the border between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia near Vardenis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020.

The trilateral Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia statement of November 10 on Nagorno-Karabakh is a major development in regional and international security. A daring attempt is afoot to tamp down an ethnic conflict with political overtones by redrawing territorial boundaries.

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Russia Achieves Ceasefire In Nagorno-Karabakh

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020Leave a comment

10 November 2020 — Moon of Alabama

The war over Nagorno-Karabakh has ended for now. The Armenian Autonomous Oblast within Azerbaijan will continue to exi[st] with Russian peacekeepers currently deploying to control its borders. Most of the Armenian occupied territories will be handed back to Azerbaijan. A Russian controlled land corridor will connect Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

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Iran has a plan for Nagorno-Karabakh

November 7, 2020November 7, 2020Leave a comment

3 November 2020 — Indian Punchline

M.K. Bhadrakumar

Armenian shelling on Ganja, Azerbaijan, near Iran’s border

Iran has unveiled a regional initiative to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi returned to Tehran in the weekend after a regional tour to Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia and Turkey to discuss the peace plan. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has since explained Tehran’s thinking. Continue reading →

Nagorno-Karabakh: Erdogan Trying to Save Himself at the Expense of Others?

October 31, 2020Leave a comment

30 October 2020 — New Eastern Outlook

Henry Kamens

It is still difficult to find out what is actually going on in the NK conflict zone. News outlets are highly selective in their reporting, which is based more often than not on carefully controlled information drips from Azerbaijan and Armenia. The reports being shared back and forth on various sites are little more than versions of whose ox is getting gored the most. Continue reading →

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with radio stations Sputnik, Komsomolskaya Pravda and Govorit Moskva

October 17, 2020October 17, 20203 Comments

14 October 2020 — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Question: Good afternoon, Mr Lavrov. We are not going to shake hands today to comply with the coronavirus requirements, even though we are not wearing masks right now. We have been told that you are pressed for time because the Italians are waiting for you. Therefore, we won’t interrupt your answers, so that you can answer all of our questions or our audience. Continue reading →

The Time of Troubles in Transcaucasia – Part 1

October 1, 2020October 1, 20201 Comment

1 October 2020 — Indian Punchline

By M.K. Bhadrakumar

Transcaucasian Trail: Ancient lands & new frontiers in great game

Three days into the renewed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh in the Transcaucasian region — also known as South Caucasus — it is becoming clear that the binary narrative dished out by western commentators of this being a Turkish-Russian clash of wills and strategies is either simply naive or purposively deceptive. The point is, Russia and Turkey — and Iran in a somewhat supportive role — are already proactively talking of negotiations involving the warring sides.

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