Russia’s South Is More Dangerous Than You Think
The bloodstained borders of the Caucasus are far from fully drawn
You can choose your friends. But you can’t choose your neighbors.
All of the countries in the Caucasus region have discovered this truth the hard way. Even so, the fighting is far from over. Tensions are rapidly rising again. There’s potential for another outbreak of war before year’s end.
“So what?”, you might ask. Who cares about a turf war in the tinderbox that is the Caucasus? Ukraine is under attack. China is becoming more assertive. Let Azerbaijan and Armenia go at it another round.
This time, though, the stakes are higher than ever. Iran is involved. So is Israel. The next Caucasus conflict can become a second large-scale war in Russia’s periphery.
Explain this area to me one more time
Sure. Let’s take a look at the major players first.
The three Caucasian countries are: Georgia (predominantly Eastern Orthodox), Armenia (predominantly Oriental Orthodox, a big difference), and Azerbaijan (predominantly Shi’ite Muslim).
Their allegiances run as follows:
- Georgia was attacked by Russia in 2008. The dispute over its two…
