A war front that Vladimir Putin seemed to have forgotten is reopening. We are talking about Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed region between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Caucasus. Russia plays the role of mediator in the conflict between the two countries and has accused Baku of violating the ceasefire agreement that ended the war in 2020 by allowing its troops to cross the demarcation line. “On March 25, 2023, a unit of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces crossed the line of contact in Shusha district, violating” the agreement reached in 2020, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
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Recently, negotiations between the two sides for a solution to the troubled region seemed to have finally started, but fresh firefights in March suddenly increased tensions. “The nightmare of a new conflict in Karabakh” is now concrete, writes Il Giornale, which has devoted an analysis to the case. Rejecting Moscow’s allegations, the Azerbaijanis reiterated that “Azerbaijani army units took appropriate control measures to prevent the use of dirt roads north of Lachin Street for illegal activities, as well as to prevent further escalation of the situation and possible provocations due to the transportation of arms and ammunition in the territories of Azerbaijan through Armenia”.
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Baku alleges that Armenia is stepping up “the transport of military personnel, weapons and ammunition, anti-personnel mines and other military equipment” to the area under Azerbaijani sovereignty where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed. A peace that seems difficult to restore given Russia’s involvement in the war in Ukraine.