DISINFO: Anglo-Saxons might be undermining Russia’s relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan
SUMMARY
It is no coincidence that both Armenia and Azerbaijan have lately initiated a worsening of their relations with Russia. Some third force is trying to heighten the tension in the South Caucasus. It might be the Anglo-Saxons.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, accusing Western countries of attempts to destabilise post-Soviet countries, encircle and isolate Russia. The term ‘Anglo-Saxons’ normally stands for the US and UK and often means “evil”, “belligerent” and “morally corrupt” Westerners, as explained in our earlier analysis. As a negative catch-all term, the “Anglo-Saxons” term is a useful building block for pro-Kremlin conspiracy theories.
This narrative falsely portrays Russia as the target of Western hostility. Pro-Kremlin outlets advance the claim that the post-Soviet space, including the South Caucasus and Central Asia, is exclusively within Russia's zone of geopolitical dominance and attempt to discredit any other cooperation between the West.
Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan strained in late June 2025 following the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijani men during police raids in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. In recent years, Yerevan has been seeking to reduce its dependence on Russia and exploring closer ties with the EU. A bill, signed into law by the Armenian President on April 4, 2025, formally declared Armenia's intention to begin the process of becoming an EU member.
Read earlier disinformation cases alleging that the Anglo-Saxons aim to break ties between the post-Soviet countries, that the EU wants to use Armenia as a geopolitical tool, that NATO is creating military and political tension in South Caucasus, and that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash was a provocation to blame Russia.