Turkey Plays by No Rules: Russian State Duma Deputy Vitaly Milonov

After his visit to Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian State Duma Deputy Vitaly Milonov shared his rather unpleasant impressions with EADaily and emphasized that the ongoing clashes in the South Caucasus are among the first examples of a military assault by a NATO member (Turkey) on post-Soviet territory.

When asked by the journalist what he observed in Nagorno-Karabakh, the deputy mentioned Turkish drones, mercenaries from the 'Islamic State,' Azerbaijani soldiers, bombings in the center of Stepanakert, destroyed houses, and funerals.

Milonov added that he did not see Azerbaijani soldiers up close; if such a meeting occurred, either they would kill him, or he would kill them. "After the ceasefire, Stepanakert was bombed for the first night. In reality, the Azerbaijanis have no army. That's a myth for taking selfies on Instagram. On one side, they currently have half the Turkish General Staff stationed, and on the other side, Israeli reconnaissance and strike drones being used not only in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh but also directly in the territory of Armenia. I have seen those drones myself," the deputy recounted.

According to him, 99% of the population hopes and believes that Russia will save them from a new genocide, as what the Azerbaijani army is doing is not a war. "When an army is at war with the local population, that is the complete extermination of a nation. Overall, this is a repetition of the Ottoman aggression of 1915," Milonov believes.

In response to the question of whether Russian positions in the South Caucasus are as strong as before and whether Russia has enough authority to influence such a complex situation, the deputy noted that they are trying to do that. In his opinion, if it were not for Russia, the situation would be much worse. "However, we should not weaken. The problem is that Russia, as a member of the international community, plays by the rules, while Turkey plays without any rules. Turkey violates every conceivable rule. This is not a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan; this is undoubtedly a geopolitical expansion of Turkey and a loss of Azerbaijan's sovereignty, as that republic is now becoming something of a protectorate. And Ilham Aliyev, who is currently in power, is solving his personal issues at the expense of his own population," the Russian deputy remarked.

Milonov stated that he was unable to meet with the Azerbaijani side. They only issued threats that he would be found, shot, or hung, like all Armenians. According to him, this is characteristic of the Azerbaijani army—adopting a serious demeanor in front of the camera with weapons in hand, but running away when danger approaches so that only their heels shine.

Regarding Iran, Milonov noted that Turkey’s plans involve cutting the connection between Iran and Armenia, as there are trade ties and a route from Iran to Armenia. The goal is to completely sever that road and open a corridor to Nakhchivan.

The deputy indicated that this visit was entirely his initiative. He also mentioned that he would propose to his colleagues to urgently adopt a resolution calling on the parliaments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to assist in ending the bloodshed.