> Russia is now in the driver’s seat as never before. It has troops on the ground in all three Caucasus countries—two with the consent of the host (Armenia and Azerbaijan), and one without (Georgia). Moscow is also pushing a new multilateral mechanism for the region, called the “[3+3](https://www.intellinews.com/russia-proposes-3-3-format-to-unlock-economic-and-transport-communications-in-caucasus-222935/),” which would include the Caucasus states plus three illiberal (and former imperial) powers, Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
> Azerbaijan is willing to participate in this new mechanism, designed primarily to establish new north-south trade routes through the region. Georgia, with 20 percent of its land under Russian occupation, and Armenia, with its border disputes with Azerbaijan, have not said they would take part, although both have expressed an openness to consider new economic initiatives for the region. Trade has long been blocked in the region by embargoes because of the conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh and Georgia.
>Russia is now in the driver’s seat as never before.
Chillin’ in my ol’ T-90 driver seat near Ukraine border, Vassily sleeping, Sergei checking his phone.
*Turn Radio Moscow on*
♪ Bumpy roads, take me home to the place I belong.
Transnistria, Donetsk Lugansk, take me home, shitty roads. ♫
Soon, soon.
The EU and US have been utterly spectacular in demonstrating, proving beyond doubt their failure to understand the basic realities of even Eastern and Central Europe. Why would anyone trust these two in places so far afield as these?
3 comments
> Russia is now in the driver’s seat as never before. It has troops on the ground in all three Caucasus countries—two with the consent of the host (Armenia and Azerbaijan), and one without (Georgia). Moscow is also pushing a new multilateral mechanism for the region, called the “[3+3](https://www.intellinews.com/russia-proposes-3-3-format-to-unlock-economic-and-transport-communications-in-caucasus-222935/),” which would include the Caucasus states plus three illiberal (and former imperial) powers, Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
> Azerbaijan is willing to participate in this new mechanism, designed primarily to establish new north-south trade routes through the region. Georgia, with 20 percent of its land under Russian occupation, and Armenia, with its border disputes with Azerbaijan, have not said they would take part, although both have expressed an openness to consider new economic initiatives for the region. Trade has long been blocked in the region by embargoes because of the conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh and Georgia.
>Russia is now in the driver’s seat as never before.
Chillin’ in my ol’ T-90 driver seat near Ukraine border, Vassily sleeping, Sergei checking his phone.
*Turn Radio Moscow on*
♪ Bumpy roads, take me home to the place I belong.
Transnistria, Donetsk Lugansk, take me home, shitty roads. ♫
Soon, soon.
The EU and US have been utterly spectacular in demonstrating, proving beyond doubt their failure to understand the basic realities of even Eastern and Central Europe. Why would anyone trust these two in places so far afield as these?