Opinion: Eurasia & Nagorno-Karabakh

The drums of war have been beating since the beginning of this year.7

Eurasia

‘When it starts, it will be over there. Eurasia* may introduce the world to a global conflict.’

Those were my words as I sat watching BBC’s global news. Before the announcement on Nagorno-Karabakh, I had always predicted that a future global war might start from Eurasia. I will share my opinion after reflecting on the events that happened this year.

And I’m not talking about Coronavirus or the upcoming US presidential election. Of course, 2020 will always be associated with the deadly Covid-19 pandemic which took the world by surprise and drew attention away from many things. While the world was distracted, something else kept on brewing behind the curtain.

If you follow global news, you may agree with me that the political tensions flaring up in Eurasia is not ordinary. Well, Africa, known for violent political clashes, is enjoying ‘some peace’ when compared to Eurasia. There’s an ongoing battle for political and economic control in Asia. Nationalist feelings are on its zenith, and countries are disinterested in reaching an agreement through dialogue. It is now necessary to engage in military drills and showcase hardware to intimidate others—what an unnecessary show off of military strength in times when many economies are crumbling or struggling.

Eurasia is boiling, old rivalries and wounds scratched open. Consider the territorial dispute between Turkey, Greece and Cyprus over drilling rights in the Mediterranean. Iran is at the background though quiet in the meantime but protecting its interests. Syria and Yemen haven’t gotten over their wars. Israel is wary of Hezbollah and Hamas. Let’s look at Pakistan and India over Kashmir and internal issues in Afghanistan and Iraq. Consider also the Chinese aggression over the South China sea, and the Indian, Taiwanese, Japanese borders and currently the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

In the past, nationalist feelings and movements preceded dangerous events. Such was with the years preceding WW1 and WW2. While the leading world governments look elsewhere and show indifference to the collective responsibility to protect fundamental human rights, rogue nations grow morale to intimidate their citizens, political opponents and bully other countries. This further encourages barbaric misadventures of territorial expansion and resource grabbing.

This is not good for humanity and not good for the world.

Nagorno-Karabakh

I kept wondering why the forces want a conflict in Eurasia. Many questions float through my mind. With the world’s current position, one match can trigger a bigger global war. Some nations make a lot of money through sales of military hardware and weapons. Will I say they are innocent or guilty for the rising tension?

How unfortunate it is for Armenia and Azerbaijan to allow their armies to be drawn to this crave, this madness for a senseless war. These are trying times indeed, and any discerning leader should be wary of that. The drums of war kept beating since the beginning of this year. It has drawn two Eurasian nations to its dance floor.

I hope these two beautiful brothers find a peaceful way to settle without hurling bombs at each other and that things do not get out of hand.

Time will tell.

*Eurasia: Subcontinent comprising of large portions of Europe and Asia linked by history and culture. In this blog post, I am referring to both continents with more emphasis on Asia.