Relations between Iran and Russia are strategic. These two countries are awfully alike. The biggest enemy of Russia and Putin at the moment is Poland. Three empires are alike, regardless of their foreign policy doctrine, Bulgarians should think very hard.
This is what he commented in the program "Bulgaria, Europe and the world in focus" on Radio "Focus" Prof. Vladimir Chukov.
He recalled Hassan Rouhani's words from December 2015, when Putin was visiting Tehran: "If the experience in Syria turns out to be positive, we should apply it in Eastern Europe”. This is the year 2015. Here, in 2020, this became a fact. What does intervention mean? Actually, my thesis is this: These two countries are awfully similar. You will say, but how, some are a secular state, others are a theocracy. On the contrary, both ideologies and foreign policy doctrines are based on a very interesting mixture of religion and scorching nationalism. Scorching nationalism, as both countries have a simple imperial past," explained the professor.
According to him, it is more than obvious that Putin wants to restore the Russian Empire, not the Soviet Union. At the same time, Iran tried to restore the positions of Sassanid Persia. I.e. that country that preceded Iran as an Islamic country. And really the backbone, the way they try to rebuild their empires, it's on the minorities. Here, Iran is trying to build a network of proxies – it's the Shia minorities, everywhere in the Islamic world, and they have floors – there are "Hezbollah" type proxies that are part of the Iranian state. They are created, they are part of the Charter, they are simply commanded by Tehran. Such are the Iraqi proxies to a very large extent. A little further away are "Hamas”. Why? Because they are Sunni.
Vladimir Putin has the same approach. Instead of Shiites, he says "Russian-speaking minorities everywhere." And here right away I want to mention a very interesting document that was leaked, there was a wonderful report on the Saudi TV "Al Arabiya", which says what we should expect from Putin if some solution is found with Ukraine. The next to be attacked are the Baltic republics, they even gave the city to be attacked – it is on the Estonian-Russian border, it is called Narva. There, 87% of the residents are Russian speakers. What's more, what impressed me personally is that by 2026 they plan for Belarus to become part of the Russian Federation and possibly then to look for a corridor between Kaliningrad and Belarus in order to cut off Poland", commented Vladimir Chukov.< br />
He emphasized that the greatest enemy of Russia and Putin at the moment is Poland.
The professor also noted what Alexander Vulin said a few days ago: "We want to restore Greater Serbia, all Serbian-speaking groups must become part of Serbia”. I.e. these are three empires that are more or less alike in the same way, regardless of foreign policy doctrine. And here we, as Bulgarians, have to think very hard.