Provocations by Armenian military and "blindness" of EU mission Exclusive video footage on Caliber.Az

Just a week ago, the head of the EU mission and master of "binocular diplomacy," Markus Ritter, complained to Armenian journalists about the "challenging conditions" of his work. "The Azerbaijanis not only film us from their side but sometimes even shout," Ritter lamented. Naturally, he provided no evidence for his claims. Which, of course, is to be expected. Ritter did not come to the so-called Armenian-Azerbaijani border to tell the world the truth. His role is quite different—to "see nothing" provocative from the Armenian side, including the shelling of Azerbaijani positions. He conveniently forgets that the presence of this very EU mission at the border was not agreed upon with Azerbaijan. Quite an unusual sense of hearing, to say the least. And as for his eyesight—let’s just say the problems there are enormous.

The editorial office of Caliber.Az has irrefutable evidence, including photos and video footage, showing how representatives of the Armenian Armed Forces behave, to put it mildly, contrary to regulations at the conditional border. No, this time they are not surrendering en masse, as they did during the 44-day war. Instead, they are trying to use various manipulative tactics against the Azerbaijani servicemen. To be more specific, one of the Armenian soldiers displayed provocative behavior, using offensive language and engaging in provocative actions. Moreover, he is doing this specifically counting on the presence of the EU mission at the conditional Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

We clearly remember, especially from the 44-day war, how remarkably "brave" the Armenian soldiers were before it began. There were countless toasts at banquets, and many myths were told! They even brought Alexander the Great, Herodotus, and Pliny the Younger as "witnesses" to the laughable "invincibility" of the Armenian army. And what was particularly telling was that the farther away from the front line the next Armenian storyteller was, the more enthusiastically he portrayed himself as "invincible."

In the end, as we know, over 11,000 Armenian soldiers became deserters during the 44-day war. This was not surprising if we accept the axiom that Armenian fighters only become "brave" when they believe they can act with impunity, hiding behind the backs of others.

And now, we see that Armenian soldiers are blatantly provoking Azerbaijani troops. Or is it simply a matter of a lack of proper discipline within the ranks of the neighboring state's army? If that’s the case, it would be better for the Armenian provocateur in military uniform—who is acting in a theatrically exaggerated manner, shouting and gesturing—to direct all his antics toward his fellow soldiers or, at the very least, to the members of the EU reconnaissance mission. Because further provocations could have very unpleasant consequences.

Yes, Azerbaijani servicemen, demonstrating professionalism, are not falling for the provocations and are not giving importance to these psychological tricks by the enemy. But there is a limit to everyone’s patience. And what then? Will the Armenian side, joining forces with the EU mission, accuse Azerbaijan of "escalating the situation"? If that is indeed the plan of the Armenian provocateurs, we would like to inform them of one simple thing—all your moves have been calculated.

Accordingly, the responsibility for the further escalation of events will lie squarely with the Armenian side. At that point, it will no longer matter why the Armenian side allowed the provocation—whether due to the terrifying situation with discipline within the Armenian Armed Forces or because it was part of an initial primitive plan. So, as long as there is an opportunity, the Armenian side should stop the provocations. And the observers from the EU mission need to stop acting in full accordance with the title of the famous Stanley Kubrick film, starring Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. The responsibility for the Armenian provocation, if it continues, will fall on them.