Putin Implies That Clear Borders Never Existed, Which Is Why Concessions Are Less Noticeable: Kommersant

The Russian publication "Kommersant" has reported on the trilateral meeting held on November 26 in Sochi between Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliyev, and Nikol Pashinyan, noting that the Armenian Prime Minister arrived in Sochi earlier, but unlike Ilham Aliyev, he did not have a bilateral meeting with the Russian President before the trilateral negotiations.

According to the correspondent, this was likely the reason for Pashinyan's unsparing expression. In contrast, Aliyev did not appear unyielding. "He, as before, had the look of a winner and spoke as if without opening his mouth," the author notes.

The author draws attention to Aliyev's initial remarks, in which he noted that "this year, since the commencement of the Russian peacekeeping forces’ activities, no serious incidents have been recorded, and there have been no military clashes."

"Overall, this did not mean that such events did not actually happen. It meant that Aliyev does not consider them serious. Thus, it seemed that Aliyev was emphasizing that he does not attach supernatural significance to the negotiations held in Sochi," the article states.

Vladimir Putin noted that a lot has been accomplished in Nagorno-Karabakh over the past year, regarding how the hostages have been returned (primarily from Azerbaijan as victors), how the peacekeeping force operates, and how the Russian-Turkish center for ceasefire monitoring functions.

"By stating all this, Vladimir Putin was, in fact, acting on behalf of the Azerbaijani President, who generally benefited from all this," the author notes.

Subsequently, Vladimir Putin discussed the unblocking of communications, mentioning that the deputy prime ministers of the three countries would hold a trilateral meeting next week in Moscow regarding this issue. The author points out that, when addressing this matter, Aliyev, despite not even looking towards Pashinyan or acknowledging his presence, insisted that throughout the year, "Azerbaijan has demonstrated maximum constructiveness in addressing the consequences of the war and in unblocking communications."

Pashinyan, according to the journalist, spoke in a subdued manner, as if stifling bitter feelings. At the same time, the author believes that his speech did not resemble that of a person there to negotiate.

"The Prime Minister of Armenia speaks every time about the fate of the prisoners of war. On one hand, this is something that must be addressed each time. On the other hand, such discussions allow him to maintain dignity; after all, he talks to an invader at least for the purpose of getting the Armenian boys out of captivity, and that is not shameful even if he must kneel," the article observes.

Pashinyan did not leave unanswered Aliyev's comments regarding proposals to initiate the border delimitation process, which were presumably left unanswered. Pashinyan emphasized that "Armenia is also ready to proceed with the border delimitation process."

Prior to the negotiations, Putin also implied that "there have never been clear borders, which is why the concessions made will not be so noticeable."

At the end of the three-hour negotiations, Putin even appeared invigorated, noting that agreements were reached on several key issues. One of these was to create mechanisms for border delimitation and demarcation by the end of the year.

Commenting on Pashinyan's remark that "it became clear at the meeting that there are no discrepancies on many issues, as had previously seemed," the author notes that this was simply a revolutionary admission for him. "Incidentally, after that meeting, one can be skeptical that such discrepancies will re-emerge," the author concludes.