Regarding Stepan Piligian’s article, “My apologies…but the hypocrisy is frustrating,” I have the following comments to make. Piligian is correct in pointing out the frustration of Armenians in the way the West and the rest of the world have treated the Armenian/Azerbaijan conflict over Karabakh relative to the way they are reacting to the Ukraine conflict.
The key difference is the policy of the current and past President of the United States. Donald Trump couldn’t care less about Armenia and the conflict with Azerbaijan. He constantly praised Erdogan, belittled NATO and other allies and begged to be friends with the autocrats of the world. So, Erdogan and Azerbaijan take advantage of Trump’s indifference and attack Karabakh/Artsakh.
The western media also down-played this conflict. No one came to assist Armenia. It was Russia, for better or worse, that finally stepped in to mediate the conflict but not to the satisfaction of Armenians. Historically, we know that Karabakh/Artsakh and Nakhichevan were always populated by Armenians and have been part of historical Armenia. It was Stalin who decided to give control of those lands to Azerbaijan.
Would it not have been nice and appropriate for Russia (Putin) to intervene in that conflict and say that those lands rightfully belong to Armenia? President Biden has recognized the Armenian Genocide. I wonder what he would have done regarding the conflict had he been President instead of Trump.
Ezan Bagdasarian
March 10, 2022
Gainesville, Virginia
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