... cooperation, but that it is also allied with a NATO member that played a decisive role in the Alliance’s two recent expansions—in particular, in the accession of Finland and Sweden.
Andrey Petrov:
Peace in Southern Caucasus: What Awaits Russia in Azerbaijan?
At the same time, Iran perceives the strengthening of the Turkic tandem in the Caucasus as NATO and the Collective West cementing their influence [
2
]. The fact that Azerbaijan has a long and consistent interaction with Israel adds a special acrimony. Israeli supplies of arms to Baku made a significant contribution to its military successes ...
... littoral state. These military aspects of the deal echo a narrative long propagated by Russian president Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, namely, to avoid conflicts and maintain peace, there must be a legally binding agreement that NATO will not expand or penetrate into areas Russia considers within its “sphere of interest.” Such a ban would also be in the interests of Tehran, as Iran is against any Western presence on its borders.
From the perspective of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, the Caspian Sea would ideally be a demilitarized zone. However, Moscow rejected the demilitarization option long ago. Indeed, the fact that Russian warships in the Caspian Sea launched strikes against targets ...
