Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the need for an immediate end to the military operations in Artsakh, where for more than a week Azerbaijani forces, aided by Turkey-backed militant jihadists are continuing to attack civilian and military targets.
Putin said this in a telephone conversation Monday reportedly initiated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, according to the Kremlin website.
“The sides continued discussions over the escalation of the armed confrontation in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, which has become large in scale and causes serious losses for both sides, including civilian casualties,” the Kremlin said in reporting on the phone call.
On the same day, Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian leader doesn’t have concrete plans yet on holding talks with the Azerbaijani and Turkish presidents regarding the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, reported the RIA Novosti agency.
Peskov said it’s hard to make predictions “due to rapid developments amid the war in the region.”
“If such a necessity would exist, undoubtedly, President Putin will discuss this subject with his colleagues,” Peskov said.
Asked to clarify if such talks could take place this week, Peskov said they don’t have concrete plans at this moment.
“But you know that this is about war. And of course, there in Karabakh, rapid developments are taking place, that’s why it is difficult to make predictions. The necessity for dialogue will develop depending on how the circumstances will develop,” Peskov said.
Pashinyan told Agence Fracnce Presse in an interview published Tuesday that “In case of a security threat to Armenia, Russia’s engagement will be subject to our treaty framework. I am confident that as per the situation, Russia will uphold its treaty obligations.”
Meanwhile the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group co-charing countries—Sergei Lavrov of Russia, Mike Pompeo of the U.S. and Jean-Yves Le Drian of France—condemned “in the strongest terms the unprecedented and dangerous escalation of violence in and outside of the Nagorno-Karabakh zone.”
The ministers, in a joint statements issued Monday, “stress unconditionally that recent attacks allegedly targeting civilian centers – both along the Line of Contact and on the territories of Azerbaijan and Armenia outside the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone – and the disproportionate nature of such attacks constitute an unacceptable threat to the stability of the region.”
“Recalling the October 1 statement of the Heads of State of the three Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Ministers call once again upon the conflicting parties to accept an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The Co-Chairing countries are determined to exercise fully their mandate, entrusted to them by the OSCE and the international community, with the contribution of the Minsk Group capitals. As such, they will firmly continue to advance their engagement with the sides, and urge them to commit now to resuming the settlement process on the basis of existing core principles and relevant international documents well-known by both parties,” added the announcement.
May I ask what has happend to the mutual defense treaty between Armenia and Russia?
Armenia ITSELF is being attacked by Azeris, Jihadists, and soldiers from the Turkish army. We have seen the photos of a Turkish soldier though it was taken down off the Web.
Does the treaty not call for intervention by Russia?
A Russian general wrote during the July war that Russia would only protect Armenia from an attack by TURKEY.
Well, that is happening right now. So where’s Russia? And why does Russia not seem to care about the jihadis in Azerbaijan or the fact that NATO member Turkey has made a direct intervention in Russia’s backyard?
We know the reasons. This entire war is really about games by Russia — toying with Armenia to make an obedient servant of it.
It’s all pretty clear.
What Putin, with his huge ego. does not understand is that we now know for sure that, though Armenia needs Russia, Russia is truly unreliable. That will send Armenia not TO Russia, but AWAY from it.
Putin is “cutting off his nose to spite his face.”