Ukraine's "gratitude" to Azerbaijan Let's draw the right conclusions

Armenian armed provocations and Azerbaijan's response actions are in the limelight of many international media outlets. However, the reaction of our partners, friends, and allies, i.e. those on whom our country can rely in its hour of need, is important to us. To whom, in turn, we have extended a helping hand in difficult times.

We are realists, we have been fighting for our country for more than 30 years, and we have faced slander and vilification from different countries, international organizations, and odious politicians. Azerbaijanis have always believed - our cause is right, and that we will win. We were not expecting a general resentment against the latest provocations of Armenians opposing us. A certain detachment from events, neutrality, and a wait-and-see attitude was expected, but... But not from the countries we consider friends. Ukraine, for example.

Even a cursory analysis and monitoring of Ukrainian media allow us to make an unequivocal conclusion that most of the information on September events on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border was presented either neutrally, or with undisguised sympathy towards Armenia. Each statement by journalists and bloggers was followed by a frank question - "who is it more profitable for Ukraine to support this time" or, even more simply, "do we need it?"

The ostensible neutrality (it's not my headache), and in fact the pro-Armenian position of Ukrainian broadcasters and authors of publications is extremely surprising. However, there is nothing better than an analysis and statement of facts, which is what we did. For example, the anchor of the popular Ukrainian "Channel 24", which, incidentally, has been watched intensely by many in Azerbaijan since February, turning to an expert, asks the question as follows: "Why did Azerbaijan attack Armenia?". That is, without any cunning, presents the audience with a false idea about the cause of tension between Baku and Yerevan.

Focus.ua also published a news item with the provocative title "Azerbaijan attacked Armenia". However, after the outraged publications of Azerbaijani Telegram channels, the title of the article was changed.

The same website published an article about the "grave" situation in Armenia "which is in a state of a new war", where the authors were not lazy to travel around the country and prepare a tearful report on its sights and the statements of local residents about Azerbaijan's escalation on the border, which frightened them.

Mind.ua went further and titled its material "The meaningful conflict: why Azerbaijan attacked Armenia".

The Ukrainian Korrespondent.net, in its turn, published a number of news reports saying that the authors of the publications are obviously not in a neutral position and seem to be completely unaware that the Armenian side has been periodically carrying out armed provocations on the border of Azerbaijan for two years, almost immediately after the 44-day war and the declared truce.

"Azerbaijan is shelling the territory of Armenia" or "A weak Russian Federation. Why Azerbaijan is shooting at Armenia" — such are the headlines of the articles in this publication and the corresponding conclusions, for example, that "experts believe that Azerbaijan is probing the ground, seeing Russia's weakness." Or even more, when the opinion is put directly into the subtitle that "an attack on Armenia under the CSTO agreement means an attack on all countries that are members of the organization (Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan)." In general, there is no doubt that the authors of the publications intend to set all the dogs on Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian media at best publishes materials about Azerbaijan that can be called "speculative-neutral", where the authors, if not making provocative headlines, talk about the conflict as if they are looking down on it, asking questions such as: "Why does Ukraine need or benefit from the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan?" Surprisingly, no one in Azerbaijan - neither in the press nor behind the scenes - has yet thought: "Why are we so worked up over Ukraine? Do we need it at all? After all, we have more multifaceted relations with Russia than with Ukraine."

Even the former deputy commander of the Azov regiment, member of the VIII convocation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Igor Mosiychuk, discussing the aggravation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, speaks outright nonsense that, they say, Azerbaijan attacked Armenia. "Armenia has become just as much a victim of aggression as Ukraine," Mosiychuk pathetically exclaims, while not forgetting to add that for him personally the issue of "Artsakh's" belonging is not an issue at all.

To be fair, during another video stream of Russian lawyer and human rights defender Mark Feygin on the YouTube channel Feygin Live, Oleksiy Arestovych, advisor to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, expressed a rather balanced position: "The politicians who represent Armenia are guided exclusively by their personal interests. As a state squeezed on all sides by its neighbours and having no access to the sea, Armenia should not have pursued an aggressive policy, but rather a well-balanced and sensible one".

It is precisely this "balanced and neutral position", which, however, is turning into deaf hostility, that most of the Ukrainian press adheres to when reporting on the fighting on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conditional border.

However, such neutrality is clearly worse than betrayal. If only because Ukraine is well aware of the position of Armenia on the Russian-Ukrainian war, which in every possible way supports the actions of Moscow and Russian troops with brave victory articles in its media. The Ukrainian media bosses are also well aware of Azerbaijan's position in the Russian-Ukrainian confrontation. Just look at the April theses of President Aliyev in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, which he voiced in Baku on April 29 at a meeting with representatives of foreign think tanks attending the international conference "South Caucasus: development and cooperation" in Shusha.

Do they appreciate such an attitude of Azerbaijan in Ukraine? If they do, obviously not everyone does. In this sense, maybe we should not overreact and should even try to understand such "thoughtful" Ukrainians, who, by adopting such a "tolerant" stance towards Azerbaijan, obviously believe that they care about their own, national interests.

We would like to make a reservation: we are not offended by Ukraine and the Ukrainians. No, we have been helping and are helping so far not for the sake of reciprocation. But we must certainly draw our own conclusions. And we will. Azerbaijan has gone too hard way and therefore has to carefully watch and screen out "particularly cautious friends." Evil must be remembered as firmly as good. So let us call our fellow citizens to a similar stance - always act in their national interests first. You will be safer and, as they say, more invulnerable.

One more thing. We suggest Ukrainians take a last look at the avatars of users in the Azerbaijani segment of social networks. Unlike the Ukrainian segment of social networks, where we did not see any avatars with the Azerbaijani flag in the course of our monitoring, many Azerbaijani users still have a yellow-blue flag as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. Tomorrow the images of this symbol will decrease. It is fair enough. We are not vindictive, we simply do not forget! After all, Azerbaijanis may also say: "It's none of my business!"

P.S. In conclusion I would like to draw your attention to another fact. Before taking a neutral-Armenian stance, some Ukrainians should recall the exploits of Azerbaijanis who sacrificed their lives for the territorial integrity of Ukraine. There are many of them. Ilgar Bagirov`s (call sign "Balu") feat is worth noting. Did Azerbaijanis, while dying for their second homeland, ever think that their compatriots would be so unfair to their historical homeland? It is unlikely. To avoid accusations of falsification, we present the link in the Ukrainian media.