Clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh: caught in the crossfire, Russia calls for appeasement
Armenian soldier in a trench near the Nagorno-Karabakh border in April 2016 (photo illustration).
REUTERS
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The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh places Russia in an uncomfortable situation.
Ally of the two clashing countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is caught in a crossfire of conflicting interests.
Moscow is maneuvering very carefully to calm the situation.
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From our correspondent in Moscow
,
Léo Vidal-Giraud
Caught between two allies, Russia calls for appeasement.
The armed clash between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in
Nagorno-Karabakh
is a headache for Russian diplomacy.
Russia equips the two armies, it maintains very friendly relations with the two countries, also counts on its territory a large Armenian and Azerbaijani diaspora.
To further complicate the situation in Moscow, its strategic partners, Turkey and Iran, openly support Azerbaijan.
On the other hand, by virtue of its role as the dominant power in the Caucasus, Russia is in a good position to position itself as a mediator, with no doubt the objective of "
refreezing
" this conflict in which it has nothing to gain. .
Call
for an "
immediate ceasefire
"
Moscow therefore remains extremely cautious in its reactions, contenting itself with calling for an "
immediate ceasefire
" and inviting the two parties to sit down at the negotiating table.
On the evening of Sunday, September 27, Armenian President Nikol Pachinian spoke on the phone with Vladimir Putin, but the Kremlin statement remains measured.
The Russian side "
expresses its serious concern
" and underlines the importance "
of undertaking all possible efforts to avoid an escalation and to cease military operations
".
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See also
: Clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh: fear of Turkish intervention in the event of war
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