Even as Georgia’s Armenians and Azerbaijanis have strong feelings about the war next door, they are trying to maintain peaceful ties in the country they share.
The messaging from Moscow has been pro-Armenia but critical of its government. And some Armenians are questioning their leaders’ flirtation, as mild as it’s been, with the West.
Many in the country believe their government isn’t doing a good job convincing the world that their side is right, and they are taking matters into their own hands.
While Armenians have been disappointed by the lack of a strong international response to the war with Azerbaijan, the isolation also has encouraged a sense of unity and solidarity.
The truce, brokered by Russia, is aimed at allowing the two sides to exchange prisoners and bodies. It will be the first respite in nearly two weeks of fighting.
Azerbaijan has demanded a full withdrawal of Armenian forces, and Armenia is hinting it might formally recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent country.
While evidence of a Syrian presence in Azerbaijan grows, Azerbaijanis have strongly denied the claims and Armenian officials have seized on them to portray the conflict as a “clash of civilizations.”
While there is no confirmation of the many Armenian allegations of material support from Turkey, the vigorous rhetorical support from Azerbaijan’s ally has been undeniable.
