NATO is fully penetrating South Caucasus – Anatoly Matviychuk

Speaking with Alpha News, military expert Anatoly Matviychuk commented on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement regarding his country’s transition to NATO standards.

“Of course, Russia views this extremely negatively. The shift to NATO standards is not just about gaining certain benefits or weapons—it is a change in policy. In fact, NATO is fully penetrating the South Caucasus. Pashinyan is pursuing an inadequate policy regarding cooperation with NATO, and now Aliyev is becoming a threat to Russia’s national interests in the region,” Matviychuk said.

According to Matviychuk, Russia has leverage over the current situation.

“Russia’s interests in the South Caucasus remain, and it has no intention of abandoning them. I believe Russia will adopt a more flexible approach toward Armenia and Azerbaijan. Naturally, economic and financial benefits will be restricted for countries that openly promote NATO policies and move closer to the Alliance,” he emphasized.

According to the expert, NATO’s actions will not leave Russia indifferent, and continued provocations against Moscow could trigger a global conflict.

“You see, NATO’s entire policy—whether in Europe, the South Caucasus, or globally—is confrontational. Whether we like it or not, it is leading us toward either a nuclear catastrophe or World War III. They have already crossed every possible line. If you look at the map, the so-called ‘anaconda loop’ has already encircled and is trying to squeeze the Russian Federation. Russia will not tolerate this. We will defend the Kaliningrad region, our interests in the South Caucasus, and our interests in Ukraine. Confrontation with NATO and escalating crises could very well lead to that outcome—a nuclear collapse or World War III,” Matviychuk concluded.