It Is an Honor to Be on Azerbaijan's Blacklist: Russian State Duma Deputy Visits Artsakh

Vitaly Milonov, a member of the State Duma of Russia from the "United Russia" faction, met with Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan in Stepanakert, after which he found himself on Azerbaijan's blacklist for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh without coordination with Baku.

Commenting on Baku's decision, the deputy stated, "If Azerbaijan is the country that sends Turkish drones to kill and bombard peaceful residents and children, then I do not want to be on their white lists; I prefer black listings."

In an interview with Hayk Navasardyan from "News," Milonov elaborated:

- Good day, Mr. Milonov. There has been war in Nagorno-Karabakh for 20 days now. Moreover, Turkish soldiers and mercenary-terrorists are also fighting on Azerbaijan's side. Yesterday, Stepanakert was bombarded. Previously, you stated that Turkish and Israeli drones would no longer be in the airspace of Nagorno-Karabakh. What specifically did you mean?

- I have expressed my desire that in the near future, the possibility will arise to establish control over the sky of Karabakh. With the help of good neighbors and countries that are advocates of de-escalation, it will be possible to clear the sky of military targets, so that the sky is no longer deadly for people. Apparently, the leadership of Azerbaijan does not make decisions independently, as it is not normal to send their own boys to death. It is illogical. The people who come here to fight do not want to die. All those who are dying now in hospitals or on the battlefield across the contact line dream of a peaceful resolution to this conflict, but not at the cost of their lives. And now, encouraged by one man's support—Erdogan's—and partially reopening a healing wound, Aliyev has not done anything good for his country.

What is happening now is a grand Ottoman Expansion. This is the 7th Russo-Turkish War. A century ago, Turkey permanently disgraced itself with crimes equivalent to Hitler's. However, unlike Germany, it has not repented for its actions. They believe that it was supposed to happen that way. A state that lives with the awareness of that genocide, as an unrepentant sin, will also strive for similar actions in the future.

It is not surprising to hear from Erdogan and his circle that they continue the genocide of the Armenian nation. They use external factors—Azerbaijan, other countries, terrorists—to exterminate the Armenian people. I am not ready to believe Azerbaijani propaganda. Those Russian figures who claim that Azerbaijan is the one under attack have likely been poisoned, but not by Azerbaijani kebabs that they are generously treated to at the Turkish embassy.

I specifically arrived here to see the situation with my own eyes. I have been in Akhna, talked to soldiers. I have been to conflict zones more than once—in Syria, Donbass, Kosovo. However, what I see here is open aggression. It is the desire of the country to completely destroy the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. They are fighting not against military personnel, but against peaceful civilians.

- You are the first member in Nagorno-Karabakh to have immediately found yourself on Azerbaijan's blacklist.

- It is an honor for me. The people who send drones to this land are not my friends. If I am bad for them, then my presence here is not in vain. This is my duty as a deputy and politician to draw the attention of other countries to this situation and possibly convey our perspective that we support Nagorno-Karabakh. The Republic has determined its path—a path of self-determination for peoples. The population of Nagorno-Karabakh has never been involved in the genocide of the Azerbaijani population. The mosque in Agdam is under state protection. See what Azerbaijanis and their Turkish patrons do when they come to Christian land. A significant part of the population of this territory has been Armenian. There have never been ethnic cleansings in Armenia.

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