In this turbulent era, conflicts and wars around the world seem to never stop. Recently, the remarks made by the Turkish defense minister have aroused widespread concern in the international community. He bluntly pointed out: "The Third World War has actually begun, but neither side has openly declared war." Although this statement is straightforward, it is not without reason. From Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, to the civil war in Myanmar, the unrest in Sudan in East Africa, and the dynamics of neighboring countries that are tense over regional conflicts, the past year has plagued almost every continent with conflict or war. Now, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has escalated again, adding fuel to the fire in an already volatile land.
Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan said at a cabinet meeting that Azerbaijan is preparing for a "full-scale war" between the two countries, according to international ** reports. Behind this remark is the recent escalating exchange of fire in the border area between the two countries. Just a week ago, Azerbaijan claimed that its border guards had been attacked by Armenian troops in the southern Sunik region, resulting in the wounding of one soldier. Azerbaijan quickly issued a statement accusing Armenia of seriously undermining the peace process between the two countries with its provocative actions. However, the Armenian side denied this, insisting that there had never been any military action in the Sunik region and that anyone who dared to disobey orders to Azerbaijan** would be severely punished.
In this fierce war of words, the situation in the border area between the two countries has become increasingly tense. The Deputy Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, the Commander of the Army, etc., personally inspected the border guard units and gave important instructions. While there are no definite reports of troop movements, the move is undoubtedly sending a clear signal that Azerbaijan is ready for a full-scale conflict.
In addition to military preparations, Azerbaijan exerted enormous pressure on the process of constitutional revision in Armenia. The proposal of the Prime Minister of Armenia to amend the constitution is aimed at adapting to the new geopolitical realities and preserving the country's viability and competitiveness. However, the provisions of the amendments regarding the uniformity of the Nagorno-Karabakh region have sparked widespread controversy. The original constitution stated that the Nagorno-Karabakh region was an integral part of Armenia, but the amended text deleted this expression. It is widely believed that this was a move taken by Pashinyan as a last resort under pressure from Azerbaijan.
In fact, since Armenia proposed to amend the constitution, Azerbaijan Aliyev has repeatedly exerted pressure on Armenia on various occasions, and even made bold statements that if Armenia does not renounce its claims to Azerbaijani territory, there will be no peace treaty between the two countries. The threatening rhetoric made Pashinyan uncomfortable, and the escalating border conflict led to the warning.
Today, Armenia is in a situation of isolation. The United States no longer cares about this useless country, while Russia is too busy to take care of itself and is unwilling to wade into this troubled water. European countries have always followed in the footsteps of the United States and turned a blind eye to the conflict here. Against this background, Pashinyan seems to have no choice but to issue a warning.
However, Azerbaijan has not stopped the pace of escalating the conflict. They not only intensify their military deployment in the border areas, but also interfere in the internal affairs of Armenia. This aggressive posture is extremely unsettling for Armenia and has also caused the international community to worry about the prospects for peace in the region.
In general, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has reached a very dangerous stage. If the two sides fail to properly resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation, the specter of "all-out war" is likely to loom over this already suffering land. We expect the international community to play an active role in promoting peaceful dialogue between the two sides and to avoid further escalation and expansion of this conflict.