RUSSIA WILL STOP BEING A COLLAPSING EMPIRE AND WILL BECOME A STRONG STATE
Naira Hayrumyan

KarabakhOpen
11-12-2007 17:43:56

The Russian president Vladimir Putin has thought long on how Russia
should develop. He chose a way which favors both Russia and its
neighbors. Evidence to this is the positive reaction of the Russian
and foreign politicians that followed the news that the political
parties in the Duma support Dmitry Medvedev for the post of president.

Russia has been an empire for several hundreds of years. The country
continues to make efforts for gathering its scattered parts and
supporting its imperialistic aspirations. Nevertheless, Russia lacks
internal policies on social affairs and democracy. Russia sells gas
all over the world, while 60 percent of its settlements lack gas
supply. Russia would not "let go" the post-Soviet states threatening
with economic sanctions, while the provinces of the same country are
wrecked with poverty.

"Logically" the new race of weapons is the continuation of the
imperialistic policy. The "eagles" came to power in Russia, and it
turned out that trade in weapon may generate as much profit as oil
and gas.

"Under the auspices" of the deputy prime minister Sergey Ivanov Russia
started to incite anti-West moods, especially in the post-Soviet
space. Moreover, in Armenia and Karabakh, for instance, politicians
do not oppose by their ideologies (communism vs. democracy or
liberalism vs.

socialism) but by being pro-Russian or pro-West. The Russian propaganda
machine is set for creating an image of a Western foe. Any event
is viewed in the light of the Russia-West confrontation. Again the
notions of "we" and "they" is put forward. And all this pursues
two aims – imperialistic aspirations and front for operating the
military industry.

In fact, under Putin considerable efforts were made in the country,
the economic situation has stabilized, social problems have started
solving.

However, the imperialistic aspirations do not allow Russia to attend
to their internal problems, for it takes much effort and money to keep
opposition in Georgia and Ukraine, take over the Armenian industries,
oppose to the independence of Kosovo, support the nuclear program
of Iran.

However, Russia seems to realize that it is more useful to be a strong
state than a dissolving empire. Putin’s choice means that Russia
decided to deal with its own problems and not to spoil relations
with neighbors, spend money on a meaningless race and cooperate with
other states.

Russia seems to have understood this. Apparently, Azerbaijan has also
understood this. It is not accidental that the politicians of this
country hurried to state that if Medvedev is elected, the issue of
recognition of unrecognized states will be brought up again, and
not in favor of Russia and the other metropolises. Apparently Baku
realizes that the imperialistic aspirations of Russia hinder the
resolution of this issue. And if Russia gives up on its aspirations,
the others will have to follow Russia.