The collapse of the USSR continued in the Caucasus: Azerbaijan and Armenia emerge from Moscow's shadow

Azerbaijan and Armenia are long-standing and well-founded enemies. However, the fact that they have recently responded to Russia's actions in a surprisingly synchronized manner is worthy of note. If Russia has managed to simultaneously quarrel with two countries that are at odds with each other, it means that the situation in the region has changed dramatically.

And it is not that the Kremlin has behaved in any particularly new way. As before, Russia has not put even independent countries, let alone its own subjects from the Caucasus, in any kind of a position of power. What was truly new was the response that Azerbaijan and Armenia gave to Russia's actions. The response of truly independent countries, not puppets of a powerful northern neighbor.

Baku has not forgiven Moscow for the downing of their airliner or the pogroms of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia. Yerevan managed to repel Moscow's interference in Armenia's internal affairs. "Rossotrudnichestvo, Sputnik, Russian oligarchs, TV channels and schools in the South Caucasus are now banned or threatened with bans.

And all this shows that the collapse of the USSR in this region is becoming inevitable.