Oddly, few Western writers on the South Caucasus have ever grasped Christian Armenia’s significance as Russia’s only ally and military outpost among the region’s three countries. Simply put: Were Russia to lose Armenia, the U.S./NATO/EU and pan-Turkism would inevitably dominate the Caucasus/Caspian and, perhaps, beyond. Putin understands this. Georgia and Azerbaijan are, after all, headed... Read More

In recent years, many territories’ declarations of independence have been justifiably affirmed through international agreements. The Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabagh’s declaration of independence from Azerbaijan three decades ago is as legitimate as any of those. Artsakh is the republic’s ancient Armenian name. Artsakh and Christian Armenia have been under attack by Azerbaijan, Turkey, jihadist terrorists, and... Read More

“The Caucasus is Ground Zero in the New Cold War between the U.S. and Russia.� I wrote that several years ago, and it’s still true, particularly after Christian Armenia decisively repulsed a mid-July attack by Muslim Azerbaijan. Perhaps dozens of Azeris died in the battles, including a major-general, colonel, and two majors. Armenia reported far... Read More