Brenda Shaffer: Why is it permissible for Ukraine and Georgia, but not for Azerbaijan?

Brenda Shaffer, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College and an expert on foreign policy, has voiced her concerns over the seemingly inconsistent stance of American media and think tanks regarding various geopolitical conflicts in the post-Soviet space. She aired her thoughts on her social media page, illustrating her point with the following examples:

• Ukraine fights to expel Russian troops from its territory= Slava Ukraini
• Georgia fights to expel Russian troops from its territory= Go Georgia
• Azerbaijan fights to expel 10k of Armenia’s (Russia’s ally) troops from its territory that are placing mines on Azerbaijan’s roads= need to stop Azerbaijan

In another post, Shaffer questioned the inconsistent reactions from US authorities. She posed the hypothetical scenario:

Could you imagine a US Sec. of State @SecBlinken calling up #Ukraine and asking Kiev not to conduct military operations against terrorists operating from Crimea or Donetsk? The US upholds the principle of territorial integrity, except in the case of #Azerbaijan. https://t.co/2qqAkseXQa

— Brenda Shaffer (@ProfBShaffer) September 20, 2023