Ukrainian Discourse on the Armenia–Azerbaijan Conflict

When the conflict escalated in the Nagorno-Karabakh war zone in September 2020, different opinions emerged in Ukraine on how the clash should be understood and which of its sides Ukraine should support. Most Ukrainian commentators compared the legal situation of the occupied territories belonging to Ukraine to the occupied territories belonging to Azerbaijan. This is why Kyiv officially stands for Baku. Nevertheless, Ukraine’s support is limited to a diplomatic declaration only. Apart from the official position, there are also individual voices in Ukraine demanding either Kyiv’s greater involvement in helping Azerbaijan or, on the contrary, support for Armenia. The Ukrainian discourse on the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict does not have to coincide with the assessments of the parties directly involved in the clash, because the Ukrainians interpret Caucasian events through the lens of the Ukrainian–Russian war. This paper highlights the Ukrainian discourse over the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict. The commentary focuses on both the Ukrainian mainstream political declarations and media perceptions of the Armenia–Azerbaijan clashes.

Authors: Anna Korzeniowska-Bihun
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