Contrary to political speculation, the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh brings relief to those living in the conflict zone. Now they are under the protection of Russian peacekeepers.
Armenia and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on an armistice in Nagorno-Karabakh with the mediation of Russia. Among other things, the document included a clause on the transfer of about 2 thousand Russian military personnel to this region along with military equipment as a peacekeeping force.
In Azerbaijan, they gladly accepted the agreements, while in Armenia they provoked opposition protests. In a country where the United States has a lot of influence, politicians began to demand the cancellation of the agreement. It was called an act of surrender. This would certainly be beneficial to the West.
“Nagorno-Karabakh was the only conflict region in the former Soviet Union without a Russian military presence”, – Richard Giragosian, director of the pro-Western Center for Regional Studies operating in Armenia, told Foreign Policy.
According to the expert, the appearance of Russian soldiers in Karabakh is “a clear victory for Moscow”. She proved that she can achieve success in resolving the conflict and increased her influence in the region. In particular, she needs this to pacify the ambitions of Turkey, which has supported Azerbaijan with equipment and Syrian militants.
With the deployment of Russian peacekeepers, Ankara’s role in Karabakh fades into the background, the American newspaper writes. Confrontation is now shifting from the battlefield to politics. Russia’s short-term goal is to prevent renewed violence.
The longer-term issue is political, says Kenny Gluck, professor of international relations and public affairs at Columbia University.
“The most important thing now is to start putting in place mechanisms that go beyond the ceasefire and start thinking about building longer-term political legitimacy. It will be a difficult task and it will not be solved quickly”, – the analyst stated.