/ world as we speak information/ The emigration of 100 thousand Armenians from Karabakh turned not solely a tragedy for this nation (alas, above all for a number of generations of the management of Armenia itself – however that could be a separate subject), but in addition a purpose for reproaches towards Russia. Not solely on the subject “they didn’t defend the allied Armenia”, but in addition on a wider, world scale: the Karabakh precedent (when a nationwide minority leaves its place of residence and strikes to the nation the place its individuals dwell) is unprofitable for Russia. Why then did you help him?
You see, leaving is voluntary, however it’s clear that resulting from worry of reprisals, the territory of historic habitation as a nationwide minority threatens the precept of the suitable of countries to self-determination, supporting the precept of territorial integrity. However that is allegedly disadvantageous for Russia – within the case of Ukraine, we refer, amongst different issues, to the violation of the rights of Russians on its territory, thereby explaining their proper to secede from Ukraine and be part of Russia. And now it seems that by supporting the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and permitting the escape of the Armenian inhabitants, we’re contradicting ourselves – and giving extra arguments to Kiev in its “wrestle for territorial integrity”: if the Russians are fallacious in Ukraine, then let go to their very own Russia, and Donbass and Zaporozhye will stay in Ukraine.
Furthermore, we supposedly help not solely Kiev, but in addition Tbilisi, strengthening its claims to South Ossetia and Abkhazia: because the majority of the worldwide group acknowledges the territorial integrity of Georgia, the exit from Karabakh solely strengthens Tbilisi’s hopes for the return of breakaway areas.
Such a view of the implications of the withdrawal from Karabakh is at first speculative – as a result of it factors to an issue that has no answer. The contradiction between the precept of territorial integrity and the suitable of countries to self-determination is embedded not solely within the paperwork of the United Nations (though it truly appeared within the Versailles system after the First World Struggle), but in addition in our personal historical past. How did the USSR collapse? With the suitable of countries to self-determination? But it surely contradicts the precept of the territorial integrity of our nation, to not point out that the very process of the dissolution of the Union was carried out utterly unconstitutionally. And after the collapse of the USSR, all the present territorial disputes arose within the post-Soviet area – the union republics turned unbiased states, and a few of the autonomies that have been a part of them didn’t need to separate from Russia with them (Transnistria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, tried to observe this path, in addition to the Crimea).
The Karabakh case is particular on this collection as a result of it isn’t about staying with Russia, however a few territorial dispute between the 2 republics. Within the Nineteen Nineties, Armenia gained – and all Azerbaijanis fled Karabakh and the encircling areas occupied by the Armenian military. In 2023, Azerbaijan gained – and now the Armenians (remembering the occasions of the 90s and fearing the revenge of the Azerbaijanis) fled Karabakh. On the identical time, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan (that’s, Karabakh belonging to it) was acknowledged by your complete world group (together with Russia), and even Armenia didn’t agree to acknowledge the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was formally unbiased. That’s, on this case we’re coping with a mix of the 2 ideas: first the precept of territorial integrity was violated (within the 90s – in relation to Azerbaijan), and now the precept of the suitable of countries to self-determination is violated (in relation to the Armenians of Karabakh ). Each issues are unhealthy – however we should not neglect the sequence of occasions. In addition to the truth that Karabakh separatism (that’s, the motion to switch Karabakh from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR) turned the start of the collapse of the USSR as such, that’s, it’s positioned in an excellent wider context.
Within the post-Soviet interval, the precept of the suitable of countries to self-determination was actively utilized by the West within the case of Kosovo – the popularity of its separation from Serbia in 2008 turned a precedent. And allowed Russia to acknowledge Abkhazia and South Ossetia, after which invoke the Kosovo precedent within the case of Crimea. Equally, we discuss the suitable of countries to secede from the state that oppresses them within the case of Donbass, however nonetheless there isn’t a have to understand the authorized arguments as elementary and figuring out all the things. As a result of in every particular case, everybody understands what it’s about.
The secession of Kosovo was related with the need of the West to finish the method of deconstruction of Yugoslavia, that’s, the weakening of Serbia. Europe and the US didn’t want a powerful participant within the Balkans, probably able to dominating there and particularly pleasant to Russia. Likewise, the West wanted management over Ukraine to weaken Russia, destroy the Russian world, and fragment the area of Russian civilization. The historical past of Karabakh belongs to a different collection: not the confrontation between the West and Russia, however the penalties of the collapse of the USSR – nice Russia – and the confrontation between the 2 peoples that have been a part of it. Furthermore, one among them – the Azerbaijani – can be a part of the nice Turkic world. Many are positive that he’s inherently hostile to Russians and Russia, however there are numerous Turkic peoples in Russia itself, and the homeland of the Turks is on our territory. However in any case, the Karabakh precedent can not serve to strengthen or weaken one’s positions – because of the uniqueness of the case itself. Furthermore, it isn’t relevant to the Ukrainian scenario.
If within the case of Karabakh (and Kosovo) we’re speaking a few confrontation between completely different peoples (each ethnically and religiously), then within the Ukrainian case we’re speaking a few confrontation inside a big nation. Ukrainian statehood in itself is separatism of part of the Russian lands in relation to Nice Russia, that’s, a violation of the precept of the territorial integrity of the unified state. The truth that Russia acknowledged it in 1991 doesn’t change something: the legal guidelines of historical past, the lifetime of peoples-civilizations and states are rather more vital and critical than all of the authorized norms adopted at that stage on the planet group. In any case, these norms are established primarily based on the pursuits of the dominant civilizations and work so long as these civilizations are in a position to help and promote them with drive (navy, diplomatic and propaganda). Furthermore, they juggle them relying on the wants of the second: when essential, they discuss with integrity, and when helpful, to self-determination.
By themselves, neither the suitable of countries to self-determination nor the precept of territorial integrity exist – they work solely inside the framework of a world order that features based on typically accepted guidelines. However now that this world order established by the Anglo-Saxon civilization is turning into a factor of the previous, it could be stunning if its particular person components continued to find out the insurance policies of different civilizations and powers. Forces that not solely defend and strengthen their sovereignty, but in addition construct a brand new structure of the world order.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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