The ancient Greeks and Romans had many different gods who patronized people in one sphere or another. This tradition continued. Today when people talk about art they remember Apollo (Phoebus according to ancient Roman mythology), in conversations about medicine they mention Asclepius (Aesculapius) and they recall Ares (Mars) when they talk about war.

Athena (Minerva) is considered to be the patroness of wisdom and Themis (Justice) patronizes justice and so on.Regarding international politics there was no such certainty except that the figure of the god Hermes (Mercury) was considered to be helping to conduct various negotiations, besides patronizing merchants, liars and cunning people. But in the 21st century, and this can be said with confidence, there has been determined the patron god of international politics and diplomacy who has no competitors. This, of course, is the two-faced Janus, a purely Roman god the ancient Greeks did not have time to think of.

We are talking here about the policy of double standards which has become one of the main components of international diplomacy and is playing an increasingly important role in the field of international relations. In order not to be unfounded, let’s move on to specific examples.

Turkey. It can safely be given the palm in the policy of double standards.

In 1974, under the pretext of protecting the Turkish community, Ankara occupied almost 40% of the territory of independent Cyprus and created the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, resettling migrants from mainland Turkey who eventually became twice as many as the local Muslim Cypriots. No one except Turkey and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan recognized this republic. In 2004 Cyprus joined the European Union but only the Greek part of the island is actually a member of the EU as Turkey refuses to withdraw its troops from the northern part of the island.

But the same Turkey declares non-recognition of the reunification of Crimea with Russia and supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The same approach is applied by Turkey in the Karabakh issue. Azerbaijan seceded from the USSR without holding a referendum in the Karabakh autonomy, violating the requirement of the USSR Law according to which the autonomous entities were granted the right to secede from the republic and independently determine their fate. This gave the right to the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region to independently decide its future fate. Thus, it can be stated that neither de jure nor de facto Nagorno-Karabakh was not an “integral part” of the newly proclaimed Republic of Azerbaijan. Taking into account the massacres of Armenians in Sumgait, Baku, and other areas, the large-scale aggression against Karabakh, and war crimes involving terrorist mercenaries, the right of the Karabakh Armenians to self-determination in accordance with the UN Charter and other international legal acts and norms is beyond doubt. But Turkey continues to interpret legal norms exclusively guided by its policy of double standards.

USA and EU countries. We will not delve into the past but will focus on recent examples. Threats to expand sanctions against Russia in connection with the accession of Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine have already been introduced and are constantly being heard. But something is not heard about the sanctions against Turkey which has actually annexed almost half of Cyprus and created a controlled puppet state there. As well as occupying a significant part of sovereign Syria.

The same applies to the sanctions on the alleged poisoning of A. Navalny and to the lack of any adequate response to the large-scale war against Nagorno-Karabakh unleashed by Azerbaijan with the support and participation of Turkey in the context of the pandemic which has no analogues in the 21st century. In violation of such fundamental norms of international law as the Principle of the Non-Use of Force and the Threat of Force and the Principle of the Settlement of International Disputes by peaceful means. As a result of this war, more than one person has suffered, and the interests of more than one political force have been infringed. Thousands of people became victims, and more than a hundred thousand became refugees. It is permissible to ask, and where are your sanctions, your reaction, american and european public figures, if you consider yourself as defenders of democracy and human rights.

To participate in the Karabakh war on the side of Azerbaijan, Turkey organized the transfer of Syrian fighters from organizations under its control which are considered terrorist in many countries and are banned. This was reported by many reputable media outlets, including European ones. The presence of them in Azerbaijan was mentioned by French President Emmanuel Macron, and the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service S. Naryshkin even called their number-2000. According to the testimony of the captured Syrian militants, their main task was to clean up the captured settlements from the Armenians, and the authorities promised them $ 100 for each severed head. Neither the US nor the European Union have explained to us whether sanctions will follow? Or the responsibility for acts of State terrorism does not  extend to some NATO members?

The European Union and Great Britain. As already mentioned, Russia was sanctioned for allegedly attempting to poison A. Navalny with a banned chemical agent for opposition political activities. In November 2020 a well-known Talysh scientist, journalist and public and political figure, one of the leaders of the Talysh National Movement Fakhraddin Aboszoda (Abbasov) died in an Azerbaijani prison. Amnesty International stated that none of the materials listed in the judgment in the case of F. Aboszoda and studied by Amnesty International do not present evidence of any crimes within the framework of international law and standards and do not contain calls for acts of violence. It was stated that the persecution of F. Abbasov was related to his peaceful political activities and that he was subjected to numerous violations of his rights in prison. Talysh activists are sure that there is every reason to claim that he was liquidated by the Azerbaijani special services. They share the same opinion about the death of the Talysh scientist Novruzali Mammadov in an Azerbaijani prison. When serious human rights violations occur the EU must go beyond the adoption of resolutions and statements, “we must be able to act” said the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrel. But apparently, the two-faced Janus does not allow the European and British authorities even to think about any measures against Azerbaijan. Although they are well aware of the dozens of prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijani prisons.

During the Karabakh war the Azerbaijani military distributed online footage of the shootings of local Armenians. The BBC reported on video recordings that show the moment of the capture of two Armenians by the Azerbaijani military and the moment of their execution. Researchers of the international human rights organization Amnesty International analyzed 22 such videos including two recordings of Azerbaijani soldiers cutting off the heads of Armenian prisoners. But we do not yet see any actions on the part of the European Union or Britain, we do not even hear talk about bringing to justice a country, a member of the EU Eastern Partnership, whose army commits serious war crimes with impunity, including the use of prohibited weapons of mass destruction. Neither within nor outside the framework of the “adoption of resolutions and statements”. We see and hear other smiles and sweet speeches of European officials at meetings with the Azerbaijani leadership, assurances about the excellent dynamics and bright prospects for the development of relations with this country. And here, apparently, it was not without the god Janus who explained to whom it was necessary that Azerbaijan is the main supplier of Caspian oil to Europe and an important trading partner.

Great Britain. At a press conference on 18. 01. 2021 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reasonably pointed out that London’s different attitude to the situations with the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and Crimea is a manifestation of double standards, since in the first case the right to self-determination is recognized, and in the second case it is rejected. Britain is also silent about the occupation of Cyprus where it also has territories with military bases. 

Russian Federation. The Kremlin recognized the right of the people of the Crimean autonomy to self-determination, although Russia, according to the agreements concluded with Ukraine, recognized the Autonomous Republic of Crimea as the territory of Ukraine. Russia also recognized the separation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia. In the Karabakh conflict, Moscow, in fact, ignores such a fundamental principle of international law as the right of the people to self-determination, and appeals only to the principle of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, although there are no legal grounds for this, as it was shown in the Turkish example of double standards.

Russia is very nervous about the supply of weapons to Ukraine from the United States and Turkey but considers it quite acceptable to supply large quantities of offensive weapons to Azerbaijan, the enemy of its military ally Armenia.

Unfortunately, the list of examples of double standards could be continued. But it is not the number that matters but the fact that this principle is becoming more and more dominant in international politics. To the glory of the great two-faced Janus who was known to be a god who unlocked and locked doors and passageways leading to anything. It was Janus who opened the gate to the sky every day at dawn letting in the sun. At sunset he locked the other gates behind the sun. The first month of the year is also named after him. How can politicians not focus on such a serious figure?

Michel Abramov