The Kremlin stated on Monday that Russia and Azerbaijan, which last week seized control of the region from Armenian separatists, will decide the future of their peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “since the mission is now on Azerbaijani territory, this will be a subject of our discussion with the Azerbaijani side.”
As part of a ceasefire agreement it mediated between Azerbaijan and Armenia that put an end to six weeks of intense fighting for control of the land, Russia sent almost 2,000 troops to the mountainous area in 2020.
After Azerbaijani forces retook control of Nagorno-Karabakh, Moscow indicated the day before Peskov’s remarks that Armenians evacuating had nothing to fear.There is no clear cause for such activities, Peskov told reporters on Thursday, so it’s difficult to assign responsibility.
Despite this, he continued, “people are expressing a desire to leave… those who made such a decision should be given the opportunity to live normally.”
Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister of Armenia, has urged international action and warned of “ethnic cleansing” in the area.
For failing to step in as Azerbaijan launched its rapid offensive to retake the province, Pashinyan had criticized the Russian peacekeeping team.
Russia rejected the charges.
The departure of ethnic Armenians from the enclave signifies a profound change in the ethnic balance of power over the territories that have been contested for the past century by mainly Christian Armenians and primarily Muslim Azerbaijanis.
UN refugee agency readying for up to 120,000 refugees in Armenia
The UN refugee agency on Friday said more than 88,000 people have crossed into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh and the total could reach 120,000, a figure matching estimates of the entire population of the breakaway region.
Kavita Belani, UNHCR representative in Armenia, told a UN press briefing by video link that huge crowds of tired and frightened people were gathering at registration centres.
“This is a situation where they’ve lived under nine months of blockade,” she said. “And when they come in, they’re full of anxiety, they’re scared, they’re frightened and they want answers.”
“We are ready to cope with up to 120,000 people. It’s very hard to predict how many will come at this juncture,” she added in response to a question about refugee numbers. Initial planning figures were for between 70-90,000 refugees but that needs updating, she added.
In the shadow of the once-bitter Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the future of Russian peacekeeping presence now hinges on diplomatic deliberations between Moscow and Baku. With a fragile peace holding in the region, the question of whether Russian troops will remain as a stabilizing force or withdraw, lies at the heart of these discussions. The fate of this strategic chessboard in the South Caucasus is of paramount importance, not only to the local populations but also for regional and global players. As Moscow and Baku chart the path forward, the world watches with bated breath, hopeful for a lasting peace while acknowledging the complexities that underpin this geopolitical puzzle.
