Proposed wordings for RFC on Ruben Vardanyan. Alternatives to the below wordings can also be proposed.
Long version edit
The arrival of a Russian oligarch Ruben Vardanyan to Nagorno-Karabakh has added to escalating tensions.[1] Vardanyan relinquished his Russian citizenship and was appointed as Nagorno-Karabakh's state minister by its president Arayik Harutyunyan in October 2022. Since then, talks with Azerbaijan have broken down. Vardanyan's longstanding ties with the Moscow elite have aroused suspicions in both Yerevan and Baku. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev refused to talk to Vardanyan, stating that Vardanyan was “sent from Moscow with a very clear agenda.”[2] In Azerbaijan Vardanyan is seen as part of a Russian scheme to derail the negotiations over a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.[3] Officials in Baku point to the fact that he has been sanctioned by Ukraine, which they believe shows his close ties to the Russian state. Many in Armenia distrust Vardanyan too because of his connections with the former Armenian ruling regime and his opposition to the current government.[3] Analysts see his arrival as Moscow's attempt to reassert its regional dominance.[1]
Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center in Yerevan, believes that Vardanyan's presence gives Moscow someone on the ground to influence policy, pointing to the fact that Vardanyan had never lived in independent Armenia and had no popular support or political power base there or in Nagorno-Karabakh.[1]
In the opinion of Caucasus expert Laurence Broers: "Many in Azerbaijan see him as a Russian puppet, someone who intends to advance the transformation of Nagorno-Karabakh into a Russian protectorate along the lines of South Ossetia and, in the longer term, possibly also challenge the current leadership in Armenia".[4]
Vardanyan denies accusations, saying he is motivated by patriotism for Armenia. He refused to criticize Russian peacekeepers, saying that "we would not be here without them".[5]
Shortened version edit
Some analysts see the arrival of Russian oligarch Ruben Vardanyan to Nagorno-Karabakh as the factor that added to escalating tensions. Vardanyan relinquished his Russian citizenship and was appointed as Nagorno-Karabakh's state minister by its president Arayik Harutyunyan in October 2022. Since then, talks with Azerbaijan have broken down. Vardanyan's longstanding ties with the Moscow elite have aroused suspicions in both Yerevan and Baku. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev refused to talk to Vardanyan, stating that Vardanyan was "sent from Moscow with a very clear agenda." In Azerbaijan, Vardanyan is seen as part of a Russian scheme to derail the negotiations over a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Baku officials point to the fact that he has been sanctioned by Ukraine, which they believe shows his close ties to the Russian state. Many in Armenia distrust Vardanyan too because of his connections with the former Armenian ruling regime and his opposition to the current government. Certain analysts see his arrival as Moscow's attempt to reassert its regional dominance. While some analysts consider that Vardanyan's presence gives Moscow someone on the ground to influence policy, and transform Nagorno-Karabakh into a Russian protectorate similar to South Ossetia and, in the longer term, possibly also challenge the current leadership in Armenia. Others point to the fact that the closure of the Lachin road and the fact that Russia does not actively demand its unblocking undermines the credibility of Vardanyan, and Moscow would not have let that happen if Vardanyan was its puppet. Vardanyan himself denies accusation of being Moscow's protege and having arrived to Karabakh to evade sanctions.
Very short version edit
Some analysts see the arrival of Russian-Armenian oligarch Ruben Vardanyan to Nagorno-Karabakh, as a factor that escalated tensions. His appointment in October 2022 to the position of State Minister has aroused suspicions in Yerevan and Baku due to his longstanding ties with Russia's elite. Vardanyan has denied these accusations, saying that his motivations for coming to Artsakh were due to his patriotism for his ancestral homeland.
- ^ a b c "Oligarch defends role in disputed enclave as Russia struggles to retain influence". Financial Times. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ "The Crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh Highlights Russia's Waning Global Influence". Time. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Amid blockade, spotlight falls on Karabakh's new, enigmatic leader". Eurasianet. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ "Blockade in the Southern Caucasus: "There Is Every Reason to Expect More Violence This Year"". Der Spiegel. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ "Рубен Варданян требует прекратить критиковать российских миротворцев". Радио Свобода (in Russian). 12 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.