Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have clashed several times on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. During short war In 2020, Turkish-backed Azerbaijani forces regained control of seven surrounding districts occupied by Armenians since the early 1990s. Azerbaijan also retook part of Nagorno-Karabakh itself, a territory largely populated by ‘Armenians but internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. While a truce negotiated by the Russian president Vladimir Poutine The fighting then stopped, with energy-rich Azerbaijan and landlocked Armenia failing to reach a final peace deal. On September 19, Azerbaijan began a Military operation again to take full control of the region, stopping it the next day under a negotiated agreement by Russian peacekeepers. By the end of the month, more than half of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population had fled to Armenia amid accusations of ethnic cleansing. Local leaders said they would disband and to put back in Azerbaijan before January 1.
The 2020 truce called for Russian peacekeepers to monitor a route, known as the Lachin Corridor, through which people could travel between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. However, traffic on the route was blocked in December 2022, leading to shortages of food and essential goods for the territory’s Armenian population, which local authorities estimate at 120,000 people. Azerbaijan has denied imposing a blockade, although in early September more than 30 Armenian trucks loaded with supplies were stuck at the border, some for almost seven weeks. Russian peacekeeping troops control the corridor under the truce, but have not intervened. Armenia appeals to the United States, Europe and Iran to help defuse the standoff; the US Department of State encouraged dialogue. On September 18, the International Committee of the Red Cross started delivering food and medicine in the area. A day later, Azerbaijan began what its Defense Ministry called a “local anti-terrorist operation» aimed at taking control of the disputed territory. The fighting ended quickly, with the Armenians agreeing to disarm. More than half of the region’s population fled to Armenia in the days that followed. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described it to visiting U.S. officials as follows: “ethnic cleansing.” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev denied the accusations and called on Armenians to stay, saying their rights would be protected and their standard of living would improve as the region was reintegrated. Armenian leaders declared on September 28 that they dissolve their administration not recognized on January 1.
