Yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russian military observers should be deployed along the line of control in Artsakh to ensure the ceasefire between Armenian forces and the Turkish-backed Azerbaijani military and Syrian jihadist mercenaries.
Lavrov did however emphasize that this can only be done with the approval of Armenia and Azerbaijan, but stressed that the situation in Artsakh cannot be resolved through military means.
"Now, not even peacekeepers [should participate in the verification mechanism], but military observers that would be sufficient. We believe that it would be perfectly correct if these were our military observers, but the final word should be with the sides [of the conflict]. Of course, we proceed from the fact that both Yerevan and Baku will take into account our amicable relations, relations of strategic partnership", the minister said.
Lavrov's call for Russian military observers in Artsakh also came as he said in an interview with a local radio station yesterday that Turkey was never considered a "strategic ally" for Moscow.
“We have never considered Turkey as our strategic ally. It [Turkey] is a close partner, that partnership has strategic nature in many areas”, Lavrov was quoted as saying, as previously reported by Greek City Times.
Following the resumption of hostilities in Artsakh between the indigenous Armenians and the Turkish-sponsored Azerbaijani military and Syrian jihadists, an agreement was reached in Moscow on October 10 between the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan for a cessation of hostilities in the conflict zone for humanitarian purposes.
However, a few minutes after the agreement entered into force, Azerbaijan kicked off the fighting again.
The Russian Foreign Minister said that his country disagrees with Turkey’s involvement over the ongoing conflict in Artsakh.
“We do not agree with the position expressed by Turkey, which has also been expressed several times by [Azerbaijani] President [Ilham] Aliyev,” Lavrov said in the interview.
Turkey fully supports Azerbaijan and its goal of capturing land that they call “Armenian-occupied territories,” which ignores that the Armenians have been living in Artsakh for over 2,500 years as the ethnic majority.
Ankara says it has not been directly involved in the fighting, as Baku has not requested such participation.
Lavrov said a military solution to the Artsakh conflict was “unacceptable” and said Turkey should be “transparent” in its actions.
