Busy with Ukraine, Russia is also in trouble with Azerbaijan

MOSCOW – While busy with the war in Ukraine, Russia also clashed with Azerbaijan on the movement of Azeri forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Moscow accuses Baku of violating a ceasefire over the region brokered by President Vladimir Putin in 2020.

Armenia and Azerbaijan will contest Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week war in 2020.

Azeri forces in 2020 drove ethnic Armenian troops out of swathes of territory they had controlled since the 1990s in and around Nagorno-Karabakh before Russia brokered a ceasefire.

Russia said on Saturday it was deeply concerned by the escalation of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh and called for calm after what it said were violations of the Putin-brokered 2020 ceasefire.

Also read: Ukraine ready to fulfill key conditions to end war with Russia

Russia says Azerbaijan has violated the agreement by allowing its troops to enter a zone guarded by Russian peacekeepers near the village of Farrukh but Azerbaijan on Sunday withdrew its troops.

Azerbaijan, however, refuted Russia’s claims.

“There is no change in the position of the Azeri army in Farrukh village, which is part of the sovereign territory of our country,” the Azeri defense ministry said, as quoted ReutersMonday (28/3/2022).

“Information about the withdrawal of Azerbaijani army units from that position does not reflect the truth. Our army is in full control of the operational situation,” the ministry said.

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