The Russian "peacekeepers" in Karabakh and the way they protect separatists and participate in robbing Azerbaijan's subsoil and natural resources is very familiar from the similar behaviour of the same Russian "peacekeepers" in Georgia. Before the aggression in 2008, they were formally on a so-called "peacekeeping mission" in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region of Georgia.

This is precisely why Armenian nationalists and "Artsakh" separatists were so happy about the introduction of Russian "peacekeepers" into Karabakh after the war in 2020. They hoped that the Kremlin would remain " faithful to itself" (or, more precisely, the Armenian lobby that determines its policies). And after another provocation, the "peacekeepers" would turn into occupiers and start fighting on the side of the separatists, as it already happened in Georgia in 2008.

 It can be said that all separatist projects in the post-Soviet space were accompanied by so-called "Russian peacekeeping" or attempts at it. This was the "first stage" of the legalisation of separatism. At the same time, the so-called "Russian peacekeepers" introduced into the Georgian regions under direct pressure from the Kremlin supported only and exclusively the separatists and facilitated their terror and massacres of the peaceful Georgian population.

Although formally the main tasks carried out by the Russian "peacekeepers" in Abkhazia included (literal quote): "Creating conditions for the safe and dignified return of people who left the conflict zone to the areas of their former permanent residence".  That is, according to their mandate peacekeepers in Abkhazia were to return Georgian refugees to Sukhumi and Gagra and other towns and villages. But in reality they only exacerbated ethnic cleansing, and in August 2008 they expelled a large part of the Georgian population from the Kodori Gorge, outside Abkhazia.

Azerbaijani civil society activists also recall that peacekeepers in Karabakh should also formally ensure the return of Azerbaijani refugees to their homes and generally ensure the unimpeded movement of Azerbaijani citizens of all nationalities through the territory under their responsibility:

But there is hope that it is in Azerbaijan that Russia's peacekeeping forces will now be faced with a choice: either to actually carry out the peacekeeping functions set out in the November 2020 agreements, as they should, or to leave Karabakh territory before the agreed five-year deadline.

In principle, Azerbaijan does not really need Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh. The Azerbaijani authorities have all the resources to restore order here and ensure the rights of their citizens, irrespective of their nationalities. Including citizens of Armenian nationality. Judging by what is happening in Karabakh, the peacekeepers are needed to "cover up" the unscrupulous separatists, who not only dream of revenge and the revival of the "Artsakh" separatist project, but are also looting and plundering the subsoil of Azerbaijan:

At one time, separatists in Georgia's Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions were also involved in direct looting under the guise of "peacekeepers" (they cut down forests, extracted minerals - coal, crushed stone, sand, etc. and exported them to Russia).  According to all international norms, what the separatists are doing under the guise of "peacekeepers" in Azerbaijan's Karabakh is an unambiguous robbery and damage to the environment of Azerbaijan.  Neither the separatists nor those who patronize them have any right to exploit the subsoil of Azerbaijan and export precious and non-ferrous metals ores, or cause huge damage to the nature of Azerbaijan. The separatists and Armenian occupants have not yet compensated for the damage caused by illegal exploitation of subsoil resources of Azerbaijan in Kelbajar region, in particular the Zod gold mine, which is located mostly in the territory of Azerbaijan.

Ultimately, it is clear that the separatists want a repetition of the scenario played out in Karabakh on the eve of Russian aggression against Georgia in August 2008, when "peacekeepers", in fact, "worked together" with the separatists and together launched war against Georgia. However, today the situation is different from 2008. Today, Russia has all its forces poured into Ukraine where aggression was also initiated by supporting separatism. Will Russia open a "second front" in the South Caucasus? For this, firstly, there are no forces, and secondly, in case of Russian aggression against a friendly state, Turkey may close essentially the only "window to the outside world" that Russia uses today.

Therefore, quite rightly, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has raised the issue of environmental monitoring of illegal extraction of natural resources on Azerbaijani territory and preventing the export of ore and other resources to Armenia. It has been officially announced that Azerbaijan is launching preliminary monitoring to investigate the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits in the territories where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed and the associated environmental consequences. Public activists have also joined the measures taken by the state authorities to prevent the plundering of subsoil resources and the destruction of nature in Azerbaijan. The mass peaceful actions of the Azerbaijani public near the town of Shusha came as a surprise to the "peacekeepers" and today they have chosen the tactic of "completely ignoring" the legitimate demands of the Azerbaijani public.

Meanwhile, civil society activists are only demanding that the Russian "peacekeepers" properly perform their peacekeeping functions on Azerbaijani territory. They are obliged to ensure the safe passage of government monitoring teams and community activists to the sites of illegal mining in Karabakh and to help stop environmental crimes.

But instead of assisting the Azerbaijani environmentalists in monitoring the situation in their area of responsibility, the Russian "peacekeepers" have in fact taken the side of the unscrupulous separatists. This harms Karabakh Armenians in the first place.

The fact that Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian nationality are still not taking real steps to integrate into Azerbaijani society is largely the fault of the "peacekeepers".  The "peacekeepers" should have disarmed the illegal separatist gangs from day one of their presence in Karabakh and explained to the local Armenian population that their task was to integrate into Azerbaijani society without incident and learn to live under Azerbaijani law.

The "peacekeepers" are themselves doing the Armenian population of Karabakh a "disservice". After all, when they leave, a significant proportion of Karabakh Armenians will simply not be ready to become full citizens of Azerbaijan. They do not understand Azerbaijani legislation, do not know the state language, have not restored their Azerbaijani citizenship, have not properly formalized the real estate they legally own (of course, there is no question of "legalizing" seized Azerbaijani houses and flats).

If the "peacekeepers" really wanted to benefit the Armenians of Karabakh, they would do everything possible to make the Armenian population of Karabakh decide as soon as possible whether they wanted to live in Azerbaijan or Armenia. This would benefit ordinary people. Those who wish to become Azerbaijani citizens would be able to restore their citizenship and find employment in Azerbaijani structures during the time peacekeepers were deployed in Karabakh. Pensioners and the disabled could resolve the issue of pensions and benefits, to which all Azerbaijani citizens are entitled under the law, regardless of their nationality. Those who do not want to live in Azerbaijan could decide to sell their real estate and resettle peacefully to Armenia, Russia, France or wherever else they wish.

However, because of dubious 'peacemaking' combined with patronage of separatists in plundering subsoil and looting, ordinary Karabakh Armenians who are not involved in separatism will be faced with a choice. Because the 'peacekeepers' have failed to ensure the gradual peaceful integration of Armenians into Azerbaijani society and prepare them for the new realities, many of them will abandon everything and urgently leave Karabakh. And they will have separatists, revanchists and "peacebuilders" to blame.

Giorgi Mazniashvili