CHAPTER 14 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Peter de Werd; Michiel de Jong; Han Bouwmeester

Published:

2023

Publisher:

Leuven University Press

The role of information as a source of power in Russia's foreign policy and military actions has received increasing attention of Western scholars and policymakers, especially since the start of the current war in Ukraine.Their focus has been on the importance of the information domain in Russian foreign policies and military operations in Georgia and Ukraine as 'typical' case studies.This study aims to retrieve more insight in the nature of information operations by studying the atypical case of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in which Russia proliferated herself as a mediator.It offers an explorative analysis, based on diplomatic communication, social media and news reporting in conjunction with military operational developments between September 27 and December 31, 2020.From a comparison of various sources and angles, this study tentatively approaches the shifting perspectives in the Russian narratives' construction and their effects on the enhancement of Russian foreign political interests towards Armenia, Azerbaijan andTurkey.This study argues that the Russian 'narrative' consists of a number of subvariants, tailored to various national and international audiences.In addition, although it is difficult to technically attribute artificial social media accounts and subsequent messaging and amplification of Turkish, Azerbaijani and Armenian narratives to Russia, these activities fit with Russian interests.Therefore, further research on Russia…

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