How Russia is Losing its Grip on the Caucasus

Russia's focus on Ukraine leaves the Caucasus vulnerable. Turkey seizes the opportunity for regional dominance. We'll discuss Russia's loss, Turkey's rise, and other contenders in the Caucasus.

Our mission is to explain news and politics in an impartial, efficient, and accessible way, balancing import and interest while fostering independent thought.

TLDR is a completely independent & privately owned media company that's not afraid to tackle the issues we think are most important. The channel is run by a small group of young people, with us hoping to pass on our enthusiasm for politics to other young people. We are primarily fan sourced with most of our funding coming from donations and ad revenue. No shady corporations, no one telling us what to say. We can't wait to grow further and help more people get informed. Help support us by subscribing, engaging and sharing. Thanks!

0:00 Intro
0:59 Context
3:49 Turkey gets involved
6:00 Challengers to Turkey’s power?
6:50 Sponsor

[IrakliKoiava]

As a Georgian I want to say that our relation with Russia was never good. It get really bad after we decided to leave USSR in 90s. Russia stimulated conflicts in the region by financing ethnic groups and providing arms. We have lost Abkhazia region in 90s after 1.5 year of bloody war, after that our country suffered from a huge economic problems, after 10 years and peaceful revolution in 2003 we started growing economy and doing painful reforms and when we thought that we are getting better, Russions planned another conflicts for us. They invided another region of Georgia in 2008. This time was lasted roughly 3 days and we lost control of the region. Georgia is not an Ukraine, It is a very small country and stopping such enemy like Russia is really hard.

[winjr]

So funny that some people thought Putin was playing some sort of 5D chess game in the world stage, but in reality he is tick-tack-toe and losing.

[superhumantrueman]

Just ask the Warsaw Pact what being russia's ally means.

[giantWario]

I really don't think Azerbaïdjan and especially Georgia were ever Russia's allies. Don't get me wrong, Putin definitely lost the support of Armenia and I'm sure he's mad about it but he can't be mad about losing support he never had anyway. I mean is TLDR not aware that Russia invaded Georgia long before Ukraine?

[JonnyTheRevelator]

Little correction, Georgia has tense relations with Russia since 1991 as Russia supported with arms Georgias breakaway regions, 2008 was only escalation provoked by Russia. Unification of southern caucasus might be a game changer, however that will be hard because Armenia and Azerbaijan hate Each other, Turkey and Armenia hate each other, only Georgia has a good relations with every southern neighbour, but it seems hard to make them talk to each other.

[bostonluyasar]

As a Turk I'd love to see those Krgzistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakistan, and all Turkic countries, as rich, prosperous democratic nations. I'd also love to see Africans prosper. Why is that a problem? I think Americans think the same way. I think our country's position is: "Either we do this in a peaceful way, or we cooperate with Americans. It's your choice."

[alwaysdecember]

The comment would be so spammed with Russian bots

[thepax]

Who could have foreseen, that abandoning your ally would make them look elsewhere? 🙄

[hagnat]

_"you get the idea"_
starting to think this expression is written in the script, due to how many times it is said on TLDR

[JMK]

Russia Losing its Grip on the Caucasus: (Simpsons) Haha.

[ROBOROBOROBOROBO]

Man Turkey is such a formidable rising super power

They got winning bets across all different geographies

[NP]

Fun fact:

Erdoğan's family is orginally from a city called Rize in Northeastern Turkey, and he's essentially of ethnically Georgian descent.

(*** a lot of Muslim populations from the Balkans and Caucasus region have assimilated into Turkish identity since 19th and early 20th centuries).

[alanmcmillan]

It goes to Turkey. They now have the advantages.

[aguven]

Why do you use belittling/derogatory language as "some sort of Turkic language". It is not "some sort of " Turkic language. These are actual Turkic people that in fact speak Turkic languages. To the point that some of them like Azerbaijani and Turkish (Turkey) are mutually intelligible.

I don't understand what benefit a social media news agency get from mocking the historical and cultural unity of a certain group of people? Is it because these Turkic people also occupy the current borders of China, Russia, Iran and they don't want a potential unity between these people. And that you have a conflicting interest? Are they shutting off the money tap if you speak in favor of the Turkic people?

[Paul-kmox]

As an armenian, i can say one thing, Armenia has been Russia's biggest supporter, for at least a hundred years we thought russia was on our side, being a Christian country sandwiched between Muslims, but now how russia played armenia, pushing Azerbaijan to attack, that's one thing TLDR didn't do research on, the recent war, wasn't Azerbaijan being pushed by turkey, it was given the green light by russian, otherwise Azerbaijan would never dare start a war without russia giving the go ahead. it was basically Iran who saved armenia. if russia ever returns to armenia, I am not sure they'll have a base to return to

[SonOfTheChinChin]

putin: i will restore the tsar empire!!!
erdogan: hold my ice cream

[ringleadersA]

The rate at which TLDR is turning out Turkey videos is truly impressive

[ghazalizul]

North Caucasus region should gain independence from Russia

Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushesti, Karbadyno, Balkaria, Karachay cherkesia, Adygea

[timothytumusiime]

Turkiye.
Always doing interesting things.

[aprl]

1:40 2008 war in Georgia is a consequence of ruzzian imperialism, same as Chechen wars, war in Ukraine and all the other wars ruzzians start to increase their neoimperial landmass and influence