‘It Will Return Like a Boomerang’: Zatulin Criticizes Parade Held in Baku

The first deputy chairman of the State Duma’s Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, Konstantin Zatulin, explained in an NSN broadcast why Azerbaijan’s ‘victory’ in Nagorno-Karabakh should not be considered a profitable outcome.

Zatulin stated during the broadcast: “The Baku parade reveals who Azerbaijan’s real ally is. This fact has been confirmed previously and is expressed in many ways. Baku and Ankara coordinate their policies in the Caucasus and act together. There have been statements in Moscow suggesting that Azerbaijan and Armenia are equally close to Russia. In reality, the country’s highest leadership understands the differences between these countries, but propagandists and commentators do not always grasp this.”

The parliamentarian also explained why the results of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh should not be considered advantageous for Azerbaijan: “Azerbaijan has not won but has sown dragon’s teeth. It has summoned a wave of hatred against itself from Armenia and states sympathizing with it. It is not surprising that resolutions are being adopted in France and the Netherlands. This ‘victory’ can return like a boomerang to Turkey. For example, since 1974, that country has occupied Northern Cyprus. Erdoğan has criticized the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process for dragging on for a long time. And how long has the Cyprus issue remained unresolved? Over 20 years.”

Zatulin believes that Russia needs to activate its policy in the Caucasus going forward: “Only Russia’s stance prevented Azerbaijan’s aggression from spreading to Armenia. Although there were isolated incidents, including the downing of a Russian helicopter in Armenian territory. All of this allows us to say that Russia's peacekeeping operation has no alternative, and Russia’s presence in the Caucasus must be reinforced. Strategically, Azerbaijan should be viewed as a problematic country.”

Zatulin also commented on Aliyev’s words about historical Azerbaijani lands in Armenia: “Any analysis will show that this is an undisguised territorial claim. This is not the first time Azerbaijan has unfoundedly appropriated the history of these lands. In reality, Azerbaijani ancestors arrived there in the 12th century, while Armenian historical monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh date back even earlier. However, Baku calls them Albanian.”

The parliamentarian criticized Erdoğan’s call for Armenia to ‘come to its senses’: “This is yet another display of arrogance from the Turkish leader. He deliberately intimidates Armenia and strokes his ego. Aliyev does the same. They show blatant disregard for the feelings of their neighboring nation.”

Zatulin spoke about whether Moscow should express its support for Armenia more clearly: “Russia has already stated that it operates within the framework of CSTO cooperation. However, the issue is not only about Armenia but also about Nagorno-Karabakh. Moscow must remember its obligations not just to Armenia, but to the entire Armenian people.”