U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an immediate end to a conflict that broke out Sept. 12 between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus.
The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is the latest flare-up in a decades-long armed standoff over Nagorno-Karabakh, the New York Times reported. This latest military conflict is the worst conflict between the countries since 2020. The 2020 conflict centered around disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh in which Russia brokered a cease-fire.
“The United States is deeply concerned about reports of attacks along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including reported strikes against settlements and civilian infrastructure inside Armenia,” Blinken said, according to a Sept. 12 State Department news release. “As we have long made clear, there can be no military solution to the conflict. We urge an end to any military hostilities immediately.”
The New York Times reported Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said 49 of his country's soldiers were killed in the border conflict with the Azerbaijani army. The Azerbaijani defense ministry later reported 50 casualties.
Blinken spoke separately to both Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pashinyan Sept. 13, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price in separate news releases. Blinken stressed the U.S. would call for an immediate halt to fighting and for a peace settlement between the two countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also is making an active effort to de-escalate conflicts at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the New York Times reported. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri S. Peskov told reporters, “The president is naturally making every effort to help de-escalate tensions at the border. These efforts are ongoing.”
