Russia is ready to play a role in helping to resolve the long-running feud between Azerbaijan and Armenia and achieve peace, President Vladimir Putin has told his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads since the collapse of the Soviet Union, with tensions centering on the disputed Karabakh region, which until recently was predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians.
Speaking in front of reporters on Monday during his visit to Baku, Putin stressed that while Russia now faces “crises” on several fronts, including in the Ukraine conflict, its historical involvement in the affairs of the South Caucasus “compels us to take part” in the affairs of the region “to the extent that it is required by the parties.”
“If we could do anything to facilitate the signing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, to bring the matter closer to delimitation and demarcation of the border, to unblock… the logistics and economics, we would be very happy to do so.”
The Russian leader also noted that he would inform Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about the talks in Baku.
Over the decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in a series of bloody conflicts over Karabakh. In 2023, Baku managed to regain control of the territory, leading to the dissolution of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, with most Armenians subsequently fleeing the region.
In recent months, Baku and Yerevan have engaged in peace talks, but differences still remain. The most significant obstacle to the deal is an Azerbaijani demand that Armenia amend its constitution to clearly acknowledge that Karabakh is not part of its territory.
Meanwhile, public opinion in Armenia is strictly opposed to the idea of any territorial concessions, and the government has had to contend with recurring protests. The two countries have also been engaged in a lengthy process to delimit the border. However, both sides agree that reaching a peace deal by the end of the year remains a distinct possibility.