Political scientist Stepan Danielyan has posted the following on his Facebook page:

“There are two countries fighting for the Caucasus, and those two countries are Turkey and Russia. There is no third country with its eye on this region, even Iran, which doesn’t have the resources.

Whether this is good or bad, that’s a different story, but this is the way it is.

The other players have interests — establish or hinder communications, create a platzdarm against Iran or disallow it, close Turkey’s route to the Caucasus, Middle East and not only, or open the route. In other words, they have tactical interests, not national, strategic interests.

Whether you accept it or not, whether you agree or not, nothing will change.”