Nakhichevan is Our 'Zalozhnik,' Syunik is Azerbaijan's: We Did Not Hold a Gun to the 'Zalozhnik' to Stop Enemy Troops - Vardanov

Nakhichevan is our 'zalozhnik,' - stated Vova Vardanov, president of the 'Art of Surviving' military-patriotic NGO, during a live broadcast with 'Fastinfo.' He emphasized that the Armenian side, by exerting pressure on Azerbaijan in the Nakhichevan region, should attempt to curb Azerbaijan's ambitions and prevent border incidents instigated by Azerbaijan.

"True, today Syunik also finds itself in a reciprocal 'zalozhnik' status in Azerbaijan's hands. But Nakhichevan is also our 'zalozhnik,' as are the Turkish units that have appeared in Karvachar and Berdzor. If we invest the necessary resources into the militarization of the population and military preparedness, we will be able to reach a state where we can resolve issues both on the Nakhichevan front and in Berdzor and Karvachar," said Vardanov, noting, "We had no desire to hold a gun to that 'zalozhnik' and say - stop your troops right now, or I will shoot."

In his assessment, the Armenian side has no intention of exerting pressure on Azerbaijan and always approaches from a peacemaking position. "We are pacifists, but this pacifism must also have teeth, especially in this environment. When you are 99% surrounded by either Turkish population or Turkish state, the only way is to be as thorny as a hedgehog," Vardanov stated.