In the shadow of the war in Ukraine, heavy fighting broke out again between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus, killing dozens. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked for help from the military alliance of the CSTO – Russia is the main member and traditionally protects Armenia. But the Kremlin prefers to rely on diplomacy, and the military is already busy with its war of aggression against Ukraine. It is speculated that Azerbaijan used this situation to launch an attack.
The fighting between the warring ex-Soviet republics started Tuesday evening and continued intermittently during the day. Artillery fire calmed down somewhat towards evening, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced. Both sides reported the deaths of about 50 of their soldiers on Tuesday. For Armenia, Prime Minister Pashinyan said these are not definitive figures. The EU, the United Nations and the US called for an end to the fighting. The Security Council in New York will discuss the conflict on Wednesday.
Call to end the fighting
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an end to the fighting. Blinken called on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to “cease hostilities,” the US State Department said. In a conversation with Pashinyan, Blinken emphasized “the necessity of withdrawing the armed forces”, according to the ministry. French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke with Aliyev and called for an end to hostilities.
The EU also called on Yerevan and Baku to negotiate a ceasefire and plans to continue mediating. According to Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell, EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar should travel to both countries immediately. The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called for de-escalation. In the past, Austria had repeatedly been the scene of mediation talks between the two parties to the conflict.
Mutual pointing finger
When fighting broke out, Yerevan said Azerbaijani forces had attacked Armenian positions in three places with large-caliber artillery and weapons. In Baku, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said a large-scale sabotage attempt by Armenians had sparked the fighting. Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, also accused Armenia of “provocations”.
Due to the tense situation, Pashinyan asked for help from the CSTO military alliance. The defense alliance of the former Soviet republics of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan discussed Tuesday evening. Putin took part in the video conference. It was only decided to send CSTO Secretary General Stanislaw Sass to the conflict area to investigate the situation. The Kremlin said Moscow was seeking a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Is Azerbaijan taking advantage of Russia’s weakness?
While Russia is traditionally regarded as Armenia’s protective power in the Caucasus, the Russian leadership is currently not interested in getting militarily involved in a secondary theater of war, as it sees it. Russia’s armed forces are tied up by the war of aggression in Ukraine, where they recently suffered a painful defeat. Azerbaijan is likely to benefit from this at the moment. Some leaders may think Russia is otherwise busy, said John Kirby, communications director for the US National Security Council. In general, it’s difficult to talk about a motivation for the renewed conflict, so one has to “beware of speculation,” Kirby says.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at war with each other over the Nagorno-Karabakh region for decades. By the fall of 2020, Armenia had lost a war against its neighbor. As a result, the country had to relinquish control of most of Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority of Armenians. At the time, a Russian peacekeeping force was stationed in the region to protect the ceasefire. However, according to Armenian information, this time, it was not the exclave that was attacked, but positions in the heart of Armenia.
Gunfire between Russia’s allies
It also broke between two of Russia’s other allies. Shots were fired on the border between the two ex-Soviet republics of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday. This was announced by representatives of both countries. The Kyrgyz Border Guard accused Tajik security forces of taking illegal positions along the border. The Tajik side said Kyrgyz border guards had fired at their posts for no reason. There were no reports of casualties. On the border between the two Russia-affiliated countries, there have been repeated conflicts in recent years. However, given current developments, the most recent dispute is cast in a new light.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
