DISINFO: The US and the EU want to squeeze Russia out of the South Caucasus
SUMMARY
Efforts to involve non-regional players, primarily the United States and the European Union, will not lead to success. The activities of Western players are not aimed at promoting normalisation, but at squeezing the Russian Federation out of this process, breaking the existing balance of power in the South Caucasus and, thus, creating another source of instability in the neighbourhood of the Russian Federation.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation, undermining mediation by Western countries in-between Armenia and Azerbaijan, accusing an ever-aggressive West of having an anti-Russian and destabilizing agenda in the Caucasus and about Russia as the ultimate target of international events.
Pro-Kremlin media promote the idea that the Caucasus is exclusively within Russia's zone of geopolitical dominance and attempts to discredit any other efforts of mediation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In fact, Western countries have made several attempts to advance a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The EU has a strong interest in a politically stable and economically prosperous South Caucasus in full understanding with the states there. It took a prominent mediation role in negotiation and is committing to it.
In the European Council of 26-27 October 2023, EU leaders underlined their continued support for a sustainable and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, based on the principles of recognition of sovereignty, inviolability of borders, and territorial integrity.
The US and France, along with Russia, are members of the OSCE Minsk Group and involved in Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations since 1992.
To cautiously create a base for confidence-building and dialogue, the EU has several programmes (EU4Peace, EU4Dialogue, EU4Culture). In 2023 the EU has established a civilian EU mission in Armenia. One of the tasks of the mission is to ensure an environment conducive to the normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan supported by the EU.
See similar cases in our database: Brussels wants to squeeze Russia out of the Caucasus; Armenia is an instrument in the Western plan to oust Russia from the Caucasus; the EU wants to push Russia out of the South Caucasus; The West is degrading the situation in the South Caucasus.