On September 20, 2023, Russian peacekeepers were killed in Nagorno-Karabakh during Azerbaijani shelling. This tragic event has highlighted the lack of credibility of Russia as a regional peacekeeper, as Armenia had sought military assistance from the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, but did not do so during the recent conflict. This decision reflects Armenia’s disillusionment with the CSTO, which has previously refused to provide assistance in similar situations. Additionally, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 further weakened its ability to support Armenia when it was directly attacked by Azerbaijan.
President Vladimir Putin made his first statement on the situation in Karabakh during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on September 20. Putin indicated that Russia will protect the peaceful citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh and that Russian peacekeepers are the main factor in maintaining stability in the region. According to Anton Bredikhin, President of the Center for Ethnic and International Studies, the message of Putin’s speech is that peacekeepers are not acting as a force of confrontation, but should help the civilian population.
Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, apologized to Putin for the tragic death of Russian peacekeepers and expressed readiness to provide material assistance to the families of the deceased. The Kremlin has yet to respond to Aliyev’s apology.
This event brings to mind the shelling of Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia in 2008, which was one of the reasons for the Russian army’s invasion of Georgia. The leaders of Russia then expressed their outrage and determination to punish the guilty.
This chronicle was written based on the information from URA.RU and Meduza.
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