When Will Russia Engage? Russian Expert on Tensions at Armenia's Borders

If military actions start on the territory of Armenia and Azerbaijan invades its territory, Russia must defend the country according to the Collective Security Treaty, declared military sciences doctor Konstantin Sivkov.

In an interview with Lenta.ru, he added that a provocation aimed at drawing Russia into an open confrontation cannot be ruled out.

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reported that on November 14, Azerbaijani armed forces invaded one of the sections of the country's border.

Sivkov noted that it is currently necessary to wait for additional information to understand exactly where the extraordinary event has taken place.

“If Azerbaijani troops indeed invade Armenian territory, then the country must turn to the CSTO, and Russia will defend itself. But it is also important to understand exactly what happened and in which area,” the expert stated.

According to him, if the talk is about Azerbaijan occupying certain areas in the Syunik province, then “this issue has existed for a long time.”

“However, Pashinyan has not said anything about this topic yet. In any case, everything can be expected from him,” the expert added.

Sivkov reminded that Pashinyan is a “figure molded by the USA,” so it cannot be ruled out that what is happening is an attempt to unleash Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict involving Russia's involvement. This scenario would be personally beneficial for the Prime Minister, as a military conflict could help him erase his own internal economic failures.

“I do not rule out that certain conflicts involving Georgia might begin, and other provocations are also possible. Of course, it is not mandatory that all this happens, but such a probability cannot be entirely excluded. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is also under pressure from Turkey and the USA, and he can easily ignite a conflict, while Pashinyan would gladly assist him,” Sivkov concluded.