Aidan Simardone is an immigration lawyer and writer. His work is featured in Counterpunch, the New Arab, and Canadian Dimension.
Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan’s controversial territorial concessions to Azerbaijan have sparked massive protests. The unrest underscores the deep-seated tensions and vulnerabilities faced by the Armenian state.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s fiery statements condemning Israel may seem bold, but Turkey’s trade relations with Israel tell a different story. In the end, Erdoğan’s bluster is a cynical attempt to shore up eroding support among his base.
Gaza and the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh share a history marked by slaughter, displacement, and broken promises from the West. They also have in common the influence of Israeli weapons, which have driven violence and upheaval in both regions.
Recent footage from around the world showcases how the harrowing effects of climate change are pushing more people to migrate. But international law, stuck with Cold War–era persecution-based criteria, remains incapable of offering protection to climate refugees.
The West is indifferent to Azeri aggression in Armenia because Azerbaijan’s strategic significance makes it an essential partner for Western energy security, leaving democratic Armenia with limited support in its time of need.