Russia has begun withdrawing its "peacekeeping" contingent from Nagorno-Karabakh, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on April 17, according to Russian independent media outlet Meduza.
Several thousand Russian "peacekeepers" were deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh in the fall of 2020 following another escalation of the years-long Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the region.
Armenia has experienced heightened tensions with Russia after Russian "peacekeepers" did nothing to prevent Azerbaijan's September 2023 offensive into Nagorno-Karabakh. The offensive ended in less than 24 hours with Azerbaijan's victory and the dissolution of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
After Nagorno-Karabakh's surrender, around 100,000 Armenians, the majority of the population, left the region for Armenia.
Francis Farrell
Azerbaijani media first reported on the withdrawal of Russian "peacekeepers" on April 16, saying that the process had been ongoing for several days.
Peskov confirmed the reports at a daily press conference on April 17, as cited by Meduza. He did not provide any further details on the withdrawal.
In March, Armenia asked Russian "peacekeepers" who have been stationed at Yerevan's international airport since the country's independence to leave.
Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan said in February that Armenia had "frozen" its participation in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) because it failed to uphold its objectives regarding Armenia.
The CSTO did not intervene during Azerbaijan's 2023 offensive. Armenia is also considering applying for membership in the European Union, aiming to strengthen ties with Western countries amid growing tensions with Russia.
Nate Ostiller
