A video published on Armenian social networks shows the mass execution of unarmed soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh
FROM OUR MAIL
Kyiv – A mass execution of Armenian soldiers captured by the Azerbaijani military in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The video, published on Armenian social networks, can be read in the context of growing tensions between Baku, Erdogan’s ally, and Yerevan, which require Putin’s intervention.
In mid-September, bloody fighting broke out on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in which more than 200 people are estimated to have died, and for which the two states blame each other. After the Azerbaijani attacks on Armenia on September 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin limited himself to saying that “any conflict between states close to us seriously worries us.” While consistent with statements of “deep concern” expressed by international bodies, his words and actions fell decidedly short for Armenians.
Armenia has signed a bilateral defense pact with Russia and is also a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (OTSC), a NATO-like military alliance between six post-Soviet states, including Russia. Article 4 of the OTSC treaty states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, and obliges the other members to provide military assistance. Because of this, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his country will withdraw from the OTSC if Russia fails to live up to its commitments as an ally by accusing the Azerbaijani counterpart of violating ceasefire terms after the 2020 war.
In the face of Russia’s silence, the United States has shown unprecedented commitment to the conflict by attempting to negotiate a ceasefire.
In recent weeks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has kept in touch with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the days of post-ceasefire tensions, and Blinken also organized the first meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers, less than a week after fighting broke out out.
Equally notable was the visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the third most senior official in the United States, a few days after the fighting in Yerevan. A commitment that gave many Armenians and foreign commentators hope for a historic turning point in Armenia’s foreign policy.
Some have even gone so far as to suggest that Armenia should join NATO and the EU, rejecting once and for all the alliance with Russia.
October 2, 2022 (Change October 2, 2022 | 19:50)
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