US: No sign Russian Forces repositioning amid Armenia-Azerbaijan fight
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The US does not see Russian Forces repositioning amid the border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan and asks Russia to interfere in a way that helps to achieve a cessation of hostilities.
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White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby (Photo: Philip Ewing)
The United States does not see any indication of Russian forces repositioning amid Armenia and Azerbaijan border clashes, White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on Tuesday.
For his part, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a press briefing that the US urges Russia to use its influence over the two conflicting countries to help broker peace after the recent clashes.
“Russia has outsized influence with both Azerbaijan and Armenia. We have called on Russia, and we do call on Russia, to use that influence and to use that leverage in a way that helps to achieve a cessation of hostilities, and more broadly, a de-escalation of those tensions,” Price said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been engaged on the matter, too, urging the leaders of the two countries to find a peaceful resolution. According to Price, the US does not see any military solution to their territorial dispute.
Yerevan said the Azerbaijani military shelled the territory of Armenia late on Monday using artillery and drones, while Baku claimed that the Armenian military fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani troops on the border. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported losses in its ranks without specifying them.
A ceasefire was reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Haqqn news portal, which cited sources, revealed that Yerevan and Baku agreed to a truce at 05:00 GMT.
Shortly after, the ceasefire collapsed after the fighting renewed.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 22-day war over the mountainous region in the fall of 2020. It ended in a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw the Armenian-dominated self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh cede parts of Nagorno-Karabakh under its control to Azerbaijan.
The two countries agreed to a complete ceasefire and exchange of prisoners, while Russia deployed peacekeepers to the region.
However, clashes erupt every now and then between both sides despite the Russian-backed ceasefire agreement. Last month, tensions erupted over Nagorno-Karabakh as three soldiers were killed and Azerbaijan said it had taken control of several strategic heights in the disputed region.
The US will seek an immediate end to fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in calls with leaders of the two countries amid renewed shelling on the border.
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, it would be a "good thing" if Russia could utilize its clout in the area to end hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In the same context, Iran has expressed its readiness to help settle the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is calling for restraint and resolution of disagreements through peaceful means and based on international law, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
