Khankendi bears little resemblance to Chernobyl sarcophagus
Vardanyan comes clean on reading Caliber.Az

ANALYTICS  16 January 2023 - 10:12

On January 12, the "state minister" of the remnants of bandit formations in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan Ruben Vardanyan held a press conference for the Armenian and foreign media. He said many things, told even more lies and didn't look hungry and tired after a month-long "blockade" - he had the same glossy face as if he had just had a delicious dinner at an expensive restaurant. But it was not this, but rather inconsistencies and oddities in the answers of the Moscow "envoy" that attracted our attention.

We have long known that people in Armenia and the "grey zone" of Karabakh read and watch Caliber.Az. It seems that Vardanyan himself often reads our articles. Thus, answering a journalist's question, the "state minister" said that Azerbaijanis have counted precisely how many cars entered Karabakh in the last month.

"Both through the Russian peacekeepers and the Red Cross. This shows that peacekeepers and ICRC vehicles can indeed arrive. They have counted their number, calculated how much food is needed for 2,000 people," he said.

To all appearances, Vardanyan meant Caliber.Az article, in which we have persuasively proved that grain, bread, potatoes, meat, and milk are in stock in the region, and the statements about the threat of mass starvation are totally groundless.

By the way, this was confirmed by Vardanyan himself.

"I would like to say that even in the most difficult siege of Leningrad there was a road to life. We are talking about a small number. So once again I would like to point out that the blockade is not a sarcophagus of Chornobyl that is being closed," he said. Indeed, today's Khankendi can hardly be compared with the sarcophagus over the Chornobyl NPP - more than four hundred trucks have already entered the zone of responsibility of the RPC, which bring food and other necessities for Armenians residing there. And the Azerbaijani side has no objection to this. The same applies to the ICRC - they received as many entry-exit permits as many times they applied to Baku. Is this a blockade? Is it a sarcophagus over the Chornobyl NPP, where even a mouse cannot get through?

Vardanyan also touched on the apparent confrontation between him and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan. On January 12, speaking at a government meeting, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on "the Karabakh authorities to avoid statements that could further exacerbate the situation".

"Statements by the Nagorno-Karabakh leadership that do not contain definitive solutions and ideas about what the final solution to the current situation should be are of no use," Pashinyan said, thus indirectly accusing the Harutyunyan-Vardanyan clique of deliberately provoking Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan's message was resented in Khankendi. For example, Vardanyan said that "Yerevan can only help financially and provide legal support, but given the realities, this is very little."

"People living in Armenia do not fully understand what a blockade is. The Armenian government has already voiced its position, saying it can only help financially and legally. They say we cannot do more. So it doesn't matter what to expect from them. We just need more help in this situation. If there is such an opinion, I would like to offer them to come and stand beside us and see what role Russian peacekeepers play here in the current situation," Vardanyan said.

The Arutyunyan-Vardanyan clique wants to go to war with Baku, not on its own, but at the hands of Armenia. It results from the words of the "state minister", saying that financial assistance is not enough and that they need fodder cannon from Armenia to be killed for their desires. But the crime bosses in Khankendi don't care whether ordinary citizens of Armenia, who will need much time to come to their senses after the defeat in the autumn of 2020, want it or not.

Of course, Vardanyan could not avoid demonstrating his knowledge of modern history and gave an example of the blockade of West Berlin, when the whole civilized world helped Berliners by providing them with everything they needed by means of an "air bridge". In 1948-1949, West Berlin was indeed under blockade, but in the case of Khankendi the phrase "Armenian blockaders" causes bewilderment for the reasons already described above. There is also a long-standing dream of the separatists to run Khojaly airport. But Vardanyan is well aware that official Baku is firm in its position and will not allow illegal flights to its airspace. The Azerbaijani side will not allow the remnants of the bandits to violate the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in Chicago on December 7, 1944. Suppose the "state minister" has problems with memory and perception of the situation. In that case, we remind him that the Khojaly airport can be operated only with Baku's permission, and after the Azerbaijani flag is hoisted in the airport. Then Vardanyan can use the airport, having bought a one-way ticket. If he manages to do so...

Caliber.Az