Hazin on the panic in Baku: Are officials waiting for a Russian strike? "We don't understand what's going on, for what reason"

Economist Mikhail Hazin gave his opinion on the panic that has occurred in Baku. Azerbaijan's recent actions against Russia have become increasingly aggressive and strange. Large-scale arrests of Russian citizens in Baku, cancellation of cultural events, statements of diplomatic aggression, and ultimatums... All this not only surprised Moscow, but also shocked the elite class of Azerbaijan itself. Are the country's officials waiting for a Russian strike? "We don't understand what's going on, for what reason."

Mikhail Hazin, an economist and expert on power theory, spoke about the strange events in Baku on the "Solovyov Live" program. According to him, confusion, or even panic, prevails within the core of power in Baku.

Hazin said that apart from the security agencies, the majority of Baku officials do not understand what is happening. "They are in a state of bewilderment," he quoted the feelings of people in high-level offices. Officials keep asking, "What is this? For what reason? Why now?"

Hazin said that the feeling of "external direction" is becoming more evident. He recalled that it was those information agencies linked to British forces who first started the campaign to defame Russia. In Azerbaijan's agenda, the voices of these information sources are particularly loud, and their anti-Russian rhetoric is highly consistent. This naturally raises a question: are British intelligence agencies the masterminds behind the current tensions in Baku?

Hazin believes that the background of the events also supports the idea of external interference. The expert recalled that a large-scale plan was recently launched to enable Israel to quickly win a potential war with Iran. "About two weeks ago, a series of actions began. The plan was: Israel wins, and Iran is divided," Hazin said. According to him, in these plans, Azerbaijani Armenians in Iran were given an important role, and they were planned to be incited from within. However, this plan failed.

He also mentioned the strange visits by Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Armenian President Pashinyan to Turkey. A meeting originally scheduled for June 25 in Israel, aimed at discussing new divisions in the Caspian region, ultimately failed to take place. "Iran did not split, nor did it allow itself to be split," Hazin concluded. Due to the failure of the operation, pushing Russia out of the Caspian coast became a new goal. According to the expert's analysis, Baku's current hostility towards Moscow is part of a plan designed to respond to the successful anti-Iranian action. "The goal is to push Russia northward from the Caspian coast to the Volga Delta. But this plan failed," he said.

It should also not be forgotten that there is a direct threat from Tehran. Hazin recalled that Iran had previously provided evidence that drones attacking its targets took off from Azerbaijani territory. Iran then responded: it issued an ultimatum to Baku, demanding that all Israeli bases on Azerbaijani territory be dismantled within three days and that damages be compensated.

"After realizing that it was not easy to take down Iran," Hazin said, "other pressure measures were adopted. Thus, attacks on Russia began." Arrests, diplomatic notes, cancellation of events — all of this is actually part of a failed plan to adjust the geopolitical landscape of the region. But most importantly, in Baku, except for a small group of informed individuals, it seems that no one knows how it will end.

Hazin tells how Iran was cleverly outsmarted. It paid a heavy price for this double game. Has it learned its lesson?

Moscow currently tends to avoid a strong response. But in Hazin's view, this pause is not weakness, but a strategy. "Someone is trying to push Russia out — economically, diplomatically, and symbolically. But those who orchestrated this forgot that Moscow also has its own means. When these means are activated, the people in Baku will no longer ask 'what is all this for.' They will find a way to recover."

The situation surrounding Azerbaijan is just a fragment of this big game, and Russia is still keeping calm in it. But if the opponents continue to exert pressure, retaliation is inevitable. At that time, the panic in Baku will be replaced by a clear understanding: geopolitics is not a one-sided game.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523550409957589547/

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