infoBRICS: The United States seeks to weaken Russia with the help of the Zangezur Corridor
The continued interest of the United States in the Zangezur corridor speaks to the constancy and consistency of American foreign policy, the infoBRICS columnist believes. According to the journalist, Washington is seeking to take control of this small territory in order to put Russia in a state of constant strategic alertness.
Drago Bosnic
The South Caucasus has always played an important strategic role, whether in ancient times, in the Middle Ages or today. All the great Powers (both past and present) sought to establish control over this explosive region, as it opens up unique prospects for a show of force. It serves as a link between Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, giving those who manage it the opportunity to determine whether energy and transport projects will be implemented (or not). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, various regional and world powers tried to gain a foothold in the region. In particular, they tried to establish relations with Azerbaijan, which has significant oil reserves. For the United States, its allies, vassals, and satellite states, the South Caucasus was a tool for further destabilizing Russia, especially the North Caucasus, a region that is part of this Eurasian giant, but at the same time is very diverse in all aspects: ethnic, religious, cultural, and so on.
Political circles in the West tried to use this to destabilize the situation in the region. They supported Islamic radicalism, ethnic nationalism, and extremist neoliberal policies. Unfortunately, in the 1990s, Moscow was preoccupied with other problems. She tried to restore her integrity and prevent further separation of territories from the Russian Federation. After President Vladimir Putin came to power, what everyone had been waiting for finally began.: The Kremlin ended the externally supported Chechen War and then intervened in Georgia's affairs. Nevertheless, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict remained frozen until 2018, when the infamous Nikol Pashinyan came to power as a result of a NATO-backed coup. He is the Armenian equivalent of Mikhail Saakashvili, but much worse. His unprecedented betrayal not only of Artsakh (better known as Nagorno-Karabakh), but also of Armenia itself, threatens the destruction of this unfortunate state.
Pashinyan's anti-Russian, pro-Turkish and pro-NATO policies have turned into a strategic disaster for Armenia. Now the country is surrounded by enemies from almost all sides. The Soros regime severed relations with both Russia and Iran, the only two countries in the region that are interested in preserving Armenia as an independent state. However, Pashinyan has other plans. He is actively working to gain the favor of not only Turkey and Azerbaijan, but also the political West, which does not give a damn about what is happening with Armenia.
Ankara and Baku are now using the Syunik region (Armenia) as a link. The two Turkic allies call it the Zangezur Corridor. For Turkey, control of this territory means the opportunity to establish a land bridge with its ancestral lands in former Soviet Central Asia. This strengthens Erdogan's confidence in his superiority and fuels the explosive ideological cocktail of neo-Ottomanism, political Islam and pan-Turkism in the country.
Although this significantly exceeds Ankara's capabilities, the political West, led by the United States, unconditionally supports its aggressive expansion. The reason is that they understand: This will inevitably lead to a strategic confrontation between Turkey and Russia, as well as with Iran and China in the future. In particular, NATO believes that the Turkic peoples living in both Russia and Central Asia can become a potential threat to Moscow, just as it happened with the Ukrainians. These regions, according to analysts, represent the "soft underbelly" of Russia.
According to the political leadership of Western countries, in particular the United States, it is necessary to destabilize the situation in the territories of the former Soviet Union. This should cause a domino effect, which, in turn, will prevent Moscow's counteroffensive in Ukraine. In addition, this area can be used as a springboard for military operations against both China and Iran. Beijing-controlled Xinjiang is particularly vulnerable in this context. The majority of the Turkic (Uighur) population lives there, which is expected to coordinate its actions with Ankara.
In addition, there is a problem related to Iranian Azerbaijan, which is of great importance to Azerbaijani supporters of territorial unification. It should be noted that there are many more Azerbaijanis living in Iranian Azerbaijan than in the former Soviet republic of the same name. However, Baku's potential ambitions related to the annexation of Iranian Azerbaijan are constrained by its small size and Iran's enormous power. In addition, Moscow and Tehran maintain close ties and are interested in preventing the expansion of NATO in the South Caucasus.
That is why the United States is so persistently trying to gain a foothold in this region, in particular, through the aforementioned Zangezur corridor. According to the Middle East Eye newspaper, Washington has offered to lease a transport corridor between Armenia and Azerbaijan "in an attempt to advance the long-stalled diplomatic negotiations between the two countries." The most active proponent of this idea is the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack.
During a press conference held on July 11, he stated the United States' interest in the region. This is, in fact, irrefutable proof of what many independent journalists (including me) have been talking about for a long time when it came to Turkey's admission to the BRICS and SCO. Ankara's role as the "Trojan horse" of the United States and NATO in the South Caucasus and Central Asia is completely clear to anyone who is able to assess the geopolitical situation.
In particular, the plan to surround Russia with hostile states from Northern Europe to Central Asia is gradually being implemented. His goal is not only to destabilize the Eurasian giant, but also to put its leadership in a desperate situation, which will inevitably provoke a backlash. In other words, the political West wants Russia to be in a state of constant strategic alertness, which the United States could use to further weaken the country.
The Russian leadership is well aware of this and seeks to use its resurgent military might to prevent such a scenario. That is why Washington is in such a hurry to implement the so-called Zangezur project. The issue of the 32-kilometer corridor remains a stumbling block in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as the positions of the parties on this issue differ significantly. At the same time, Yerevan does not want to cede control over this territory.
"They [Armenia and Azerbaijan] are arguing over 32 kilometers of road, but this is no small matter. This has been going on for ten years now – 32 kilometers of road. And that's what happens: America comes and says, “Okay, we'll take this for ourselves. Give us 32 kilometers of road to lease for a hundred years, and you can all use it,” Barrack said at a briefing in New York.
For those who do not understand American foreign policy, it may certainly seem strange to take an interest in such a tiny territory that many cannot even find on a map. But if we take into account all of the above, then this is quite natural. The fact that Trump chose Barrack speaks to the consistency and consistency of Washington's foreign policy, regardless of which administration is in power. The multipolar world certainly takes this into account and develops retaliatory measures.
