Political scientist: Chill in Russian-Turkish relations could change  geopolitical situation in South Caucasus

ArmInfo. There is a chill in Turkish-Russian relations, says political scientist Stepan Danielyan.

He justified his assumptions by the fact that US Secretary of State  Antony Blinken announced progress on the issue of Sweden's membership  in NATO , for which Turkey expects to receive new F16 fighters and  spare parts for existing aircraft.

Danielyan stated that Sweden's membership in NATO creates strategic  threats for Russia in the Baltic Sea and problems in communication  with the Kalingrad region.

"In addition, on December 16, a secret meeting on the Ukrainian issue  was held in Riyadh with the participation of high officials from  Turkey, Saudi Arabia and India. And the UK was one of the main  organizers of the meeting. This also deepened the mistrust that arose  in relations between Turkey and Russia," the expert is convinced.

At the same time, the political scientist noted that the UK is the  geopolitical roof of Turkey and Azerbaijan.  "These developments may  form a new situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations. Let us  remember that after the meeting between Erdogan and Putin in Sochi in  September last year, the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Artsakh was  completed.

It is no coincidence that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, having  refused the mediation of the European Union and the United States in  the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations, now refuses the mediation of  Moscow and proposes a direct Armenian-Azerbaijani format, without  intermediaries," he added.  Danielyan also considers it noteworthy  that after the secret negotiations held in Riyadh, a discussion on a  peaceful settlement in Ukraine is expected in Davos, in which the  Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia will also take part.

"Questions arise here about the policy of the so-called government of  Armenia, what and whose goals they serve and what strategic  calculations they have.  Raising the question of the government's  strategic calculations is rather a rhetorical question. It is clear  that strategic thinking and the government of Armenia are  incompatible concepts," Danielyan summed up.