A cache of more than a dozen letters, diplomatic notes, bills of sale, and export passports suggests this may have been a key reason for Armenia's decision to withdraw from the CSTO, undermining the authority of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin among former Soviet republics.
Theoretically, CSTO members are obligated to defend one another in case of an attack. Azerbaijan exited the bloc in 1999.
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Belarus actively aided Azerbaijan’s armed forces between 2018 and 2022, as tensions peaked with Armenia. The services offered included modernizing older artillery equipment and providing new gear used for electronic warfare and drone systems, the documents suggest.
The documents include letters from the Belarusian state arms export agency to its own military-industrial firms relating to orders of state-of-the-art artillery targeting equipment for Azerbaijan, as well as correspondence between the two states agreeing on the purchase of Groza-S counter-drone mobile warfare stations for Azerbaijan’s armed forces.
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Artillery and drones were used extensively in combat between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in recent years, particularly during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
One diplomatic communication seen by Politico said that Belarusian enterprises were playing an active role "in the restoration of de-occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as well as the export of Belarusian goods and services" to the country.
Eduard Arakelyan, a military analyst at Yerevan’s Regional Center for Democracy and Security, verified that the leaked documents pertained to hardware used by Azerbaijan in recent wars, both in Nagorno-Karabakh and against the Republic of Armenia itself.
"This equipment was used with devastating effect against Armenian troops and was provided by a country that is supposed to be an ally of Armenia," he said.
"In formal terms, it’s a complete breach of the CSTO alliance but, in practice, we’ve always known the bloc was more supportive of Azerbaijan."
Experts believe Belarus was unlikely to be acting without the tacit support of the Kremlin.
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"This truly shows that with friends like Vladimir Putin, nobody needs enemies," said Ivana Stradner, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
"It’s ridiculous to think these transfers could have taken place without Moscow’s knowledge, and that Russia couldn’t have stopped them if it wanted to. There is no such thing as loyalty when it comes to Moscow — it’s all about preserving their own security even if it’s at the expense of their own allies."
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on June 12 that his country might exit the CSTO, which is effectively controlled by Russia.
Nagorno-Karabakh war
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced the beginning of "counter-terrorism measures" in Nagorno-Karabakh to "restore constitutional order" on Sept. 19, 2023.
The unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh surrendered on Sept. 20.
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the country had "completed all the tasks of the counter-terrorism operation" within a day and "restored sovereignty."
Virtually the entire ethnically Armenian population was forced to leave Nagorno-Karabakh following its seizure by Azerbaijan.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed readiness in April 2023 to recognize Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh. Foreign ministers of both countries reported that a peace agreement between the two nations was possible by the end of 2023.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Aliyev and Pashinyan on Nov. 27. He welcomed the intention to reach a "strong and dignified" peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic ceased to exist on Jan. 1, 2024.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Section: Nation
Author: Владислава Топоркова
