Azerbaijani diplomat: Change in command of peacekeepers is not related to new checkpoint

The Russian peacekeeping troops temporarily stationed in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the November 9 Statement in 2020, have appointed a new commander. Andrey Volkov, who headed the troops until today, hands over his chair to the newly appointed Colonel-General Aleksandr Lentsov.

However, the newly appointed 67-year-old commander has an interesting dossier.

Colonel-General Lentsov has started his career in Afghanistan, served in Donetsk, Ukraine in 2014-2015, and took part in Russian operations in Syria in 2016. He was the commander of the 98th Guards Airborne Division. Between 2009 and 2013 he served as deputy commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, and from 2013 to 2020 as deputy commander of the Russian Ground Forces. Besides that, it said he is a trusted man and advisor of Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu.

It is also an interesting point that Russia has been replacing the commander of the peacekeeping contingent for the 4th time in the past three years - and Lentsov is the fifth one. Nevertheless, the frequent replacements in the very short time has not been accepted unequivocally either in Azerbaijani or Armenian societies. Especially the coincidence of the last replacement with the establishment of the border checkpoint at the start of the Lachin-Khankendi road by Azerbaijan has put the limelight on some questions.

In a comment for Azernews on the issue the Former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofig Zulfugar clarified all the dark points as follows: "I not think that the last replacement relates to the establishment of the border checkpoint," the diplomat said.

"Azerbaijan had been doing preparations for a long time in this matter. The establishment of the checkpoint was in the agenda. Even Andrey Volkov, the former head of the peacekeepers, voiced it. In fact, this should have happened a long time ago. The peacekeepers do not conduct border guard and there is no such international experience. They usually deal with security issues. This function should have been taken from them. I do not believe that Volkov's replacement is related to this issue. However, in order to calm the Armenians, perhaps they will spread such information that Russia was not aware of it [the establishment of the border checkpoint]. Or it is Volkov's arbitrary decision. I do not rule out the spread of similar images. Even the Armenians were aware of this because they installed their border checkpoints before us. Now, if the Armenian side claimed that they had not known, it will not be believable. We are just dealing with a wave of propaganda, but the reality is that this is a process that should have happened a long time ago. The main purpose of the established border checkpoint is to stop radicalism and terror. The movement of radicals will now be under control.” the former minister noted.

As for the frequent replacements, the former foreign minister noted that it could have different reasons.

“As it is known, the contingent is under the Ministry of Defense, and now the main priority of the Ministry of Defense is the war in Ukraine. The Rotations that are happening may have something to do with it. Certain personnel may be needed in Ukraine. Secondly, the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry or the political leadership of Russia is dissatisfied with the work style of the military personnel in Karabakh. From this point of view, these changes could occur. Thirdly, it may be related to the fact that the troops in Karabakh have come under the influence of the local Armenians due to subjective reasons. I mean, in exchange for financial interests and it could dissatisfy the Azerbaijani side and dissatisfy the Russian Ministry of Defense,” ex-minister opined.

He stressed that the appointment of Colonel-General Aleksander Lentsov will not affect the process politically in the region because military personnel perform a technical function. In this regard, it is not right to expect some new steps from them. The former minister added that the Azerbaijani side may require him to help in some processes such as integration issues. However, the peacekeepers do not have the power, nor do they have the leverage, to seriously change the nature of the ongoing processes.