Radar Armenia‘s interlocutor is political scientist Harutyun Mkrtchyan.
– One year of the Russian-Ukrainian war is coming to an end. If we were to summarize this process, what main observations can we make?
– The tasks that Russia had set before itself to achieve the occupation of the territory of Ukraine within a few days failed. Moreover, during this one year of the war, Ukraine was able to unite the civilized world around itself and continues to receive weapons. US President Joe Biden also announced this. And this year-long war suggests one thing in general, that it will end with the victory of Ukraine, which will not be the victory of Ukraine alone. By waging war against the Russian Federation, Ukraine also protects the sovereignty of the remaining post-Soviet states. Vladimir Putin does not hide his intentions to create a Soviet model state. And on this path, Ukraine is a clear obstacle, and if the Russian Federation fails here, we can clearly state that Armenia will gain independence in relations with Russia with much less damage.
– In your opinion, is the end of the war visible?
– The war may not end this year. But it must be extended into something other than the following year. In other words, the problem should be solved within two years. The interest of the West is especially noteworthy here. It is interested in the war ending as soon as possible and ending with the victory of Ukraine. Russia has invaded Ukraine’s sovereign territory, which is why it must end exclusively with the success of Ukraine; otherwise, the world will enter a turbulent period where anything can be expected.
– What other manifestations can the West-Russian confrontation have shortly?
– The confrontation between Russia and the collective West will only be reflected in the hot military operations in Ukraine. If the Russian Federation manages to bring Ukraine to its knees, this confrontation might also move to the heart of Europe. My opinion is that Russian President Putin will not stop under any circumstances.
– In this context, I would like to refer to the last message of the President of the Russian Federation, when he announced that Russia is suspending its participation but not withdrawing from the “Strategic Offensive Weapons-3” agreement.
– The President of the Russian Federation has a good idea of how things will develop in this phase of the war. The Ukrainian army possesses long-range weapons, and in his situation, it is also ready to use them against Russia at the right moment. Putin threatened the collective West, particularly the United States. In his message, he mentioned that Russia would start a more profound war behind the scenes if the collective West continued to give long-range weapons. In other words, Putin openly threatens, in particular, Europe, that the hot conflict may move from Ukraine to Europe. And the suspension of this agreement also indicates that Vladimir Putin threatens the United States in some sense by suspending but not withdrawing from the agreement.
