From the Caucasus to the Aegean: The dangers of "both-siderism"
On Tuesday Azerbaijan unleashed a colossal artillery barrage deep into Armenian territory, kicking off two days of heavy fighting before a ceasefire was agreed to. This unprovoked attack was widely condemned, especially on Capitol Hill, where members of Congress called for an end to US military aid to Azerbaijan. While the State Department also called for the immediate cessation of hostilities, President Aliyev’s attack on Armenia has put its past failure to clearly call out Baku’s aggression under the microscope. Expert Michael Rubin, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and former Pentagon official, joins Thanos Davelis to explain why this State Department policy of "both-siderism" - which we’ve also seen in the Aegean - not only enables extremists like Aliyev, but also sends the wrong message to revisionists like Turkey's President Erdogan.
Read Michael Rubin’s latest pieces here:
Biden Recognized Armenian Genocide. Will Blinken Enable Its Repeat?
Could Greece And Turkey Go To War? The Answer Is Yes
You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:
Cease-fire holds between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Armenia says 105 troops killed in Azerbaijan border clashes
Greek FM expresses concern over deteriorating relations with Turkey
Erdogan attacks against Greece not paying off inside Turkey
Greek Parliament ratifies Sweden and Finland NATO bid
Turkey calls on next Swedish government to take counter-terrorism steps needed for NATO membership
Turkey renews veto threat on Sweden, Finland NATO bids