Baku sets its terms. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev reiterated on Wednesday, September 20, “that counterterrorism measures will be suspended if (the Armenian separatists) lay down their arms and are disarmed,” according to a presidential press release at the end of a telephone conversation Telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was published. Azerbaijan launched a new military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, three years after a war that led to Armenia’s military defeat. Follow our live stream.
The UN calls for an “immediate end to the fighting”. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for “de-escalation and…” [le] “Stricter compliance with the 2020 ceasefire and the principles of international humanitarian law.”
At least 29 dead. At least 29 people have died in the fighting since Tuesday. Separatists reported 27 dead, including two civilians, and more than 200 injured, while around 7,000 residents of 16 towns were evacuated. Azerbaijan reported that two civilians died in areas under its control. The separatists claim that several cities in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the capital Stepanakert, are the target of an “intense fire” that is also targeting civilian infrastructure.
A “major attack”. Armenia condemned this offensive for the purpose of “ethnic cleansing.” She assured that she had no troops in Nagorno-Karabakh, suggesting that the separatists were acting alone against Azerbaijani soldiers. Yerevan believes it is up to Russia, the guarantor of a ceasefire from 2020 with peacekeepers on the ground, to take measures to “stop Azerbaijani aggression.”
Moscow calls for an end to the fighting. Russia called on Wednesday to “immediately stop the bloodshed, end hostilities and stop civilian casualties” in the region. Moscow is demanding a return to the agreements negotiated under its aegis, which led to a ceasefire in 2020 but not a peace agreement.