The process of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping troops from the territory of the Republic of Artsakh occupied by Azerbaijan, which started a few days ago, is of great concern for the 150,000 Artsakh citizens who were deported from their homeland months ago under the real threat of genocide. In the previous months, the issue of dignified and collective return has been and continues to be a priority for the legitimate authorities elected by the people of the Republic of Artsakh and for the factions of the National Assembly, in which the guarantee of our fundamental rights and security is of cornerstone importance.
Since September 27, 2020, our region has undergone serious transformations, and the situation created after the 44-day war [of 2020] does not in any way guarantee the expected and promised lasting peace and stability. The people of Artsakh, regardless of their will, found themselves in the trap of the provisions of the Trilateral Declaration of November 9, 2020, and believed in the assurances of the high leadership of the Russian Federation to ensure their security. We are forced to record with pain and regret that the fate of the people of Artsakh became a matter of secondary importance for all parties that signed the Trilateral Declaration, as a result of which Artsakh was completely depopulated of Armenians in September 2023.
At the same time, it is clear that the absence of an international presence in Artsakh will give additional freedom to the military and political leadership of Azerbaijan, which is implementing a policy of destroying ‘everything Armenian’ and erasing any Armenian trace in general. In such a situation, the centuries-old Armenian spiritual and cultural monuments, Armenian property and national property will be under threat.
It is an inalienable right of the people of Artsakh to live safely and securely in their millennium-old homeland with international guarantees and the preservation of all rights and freedoms, and the three factions of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh are concerned that the withdrawal of international organizations from Artsakh in general, and the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping troops in particular, endanger that right. At the same time, we consider it important to emphasize that making such decisions without discussions with the representatives of the indigenous people of the region, the Artsakh Armenians, is unacceptable and cannot in any way contribute to the establishment of stable, long-term peace and the resolution of the problem.
Based on the above, the factions of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh urge the relevant structures of the Russian Federation (RF) and their officials to immediately start consultations and discussions with the legally elected representatives of the people of Artsakh about the real reasons for the withdrawal of the RF peacekeeping troops from the territory of the Republic of Artsakh, the catastrophic situation created as a result, the many challenges caused and the necessary efforts to overcome them.
Justice Faction
ARF Dashnaktsutyun Faction
Democratic Party of Artsakh Faction
Yerevan, April 19, 2024
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For a start a soul searching and a review of Russian actions and inactions must take place. As is well known in the defence treaty Armenia had with Russia, only applied to internationally recognised Armenia hence there was no commitment to assist with defence of Armenian control of much of Soviet N-K and the Azeri lands adjoining. Despite Russian own activities in Georgia and Ukraine it from 2018 took a sanctimonious position about Armenian presence in internationally recognised Azerbaijan. It should be factored that the perceived Russian support for Armenia and in turn Armenia’s support for the Arktash government was a point of contention between Azerbaijan and Russia who switched positions but seemed to assume that it’s relationship with Armenia would continue as before. With the confidence that Russia wasn’t just being legalistic in not offering safeguarding for N-K , Azerbaijan attacked in 2020 to settle by force what protracted negotiations since 1994 had failed to achieve. With the tripartite agreement regular Armenian forces withdrew and Russian peacekeepers arrived and Russia assumed a legal role in keeping the peace and security with a mandate to 2025 and provision to be extended although even then Azerbaijan was clear that it was unwilling to extend the protocol. Nevertheless Russia had affirmed a role in safeguarding in the area for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. With the access a precarious road through Azeri controlled lands and reliant on Russian military to safeguard. In 2022 two days before Russia invaded Ukraine it signed a friendship agreement with Azerbaijan and affirmed support it’s internationally recognised boundaries, and opposition to secessionist movements,Azerbaijan had revoked autonomy in 1990 but until 2020 apart from areas of soviet NK it controlled was meaningless , hence any further implications by Russia that it was supportive of their position was a meaningless action. Needless to say it’s very unlikely that Azerbaijan wasn’t aware of that Russia was poised to invade Ukraine on 22 February 22 when it signed it’s friendship agreement with Russia. As is well known the conflict in Ukraine which is backed by NATO has been arduous for Russia who in turn has had to focus it’s efforts there. It’s worth noting it’s drawn down deployments in Syria in order to support it’s Ukraine campaign. In turn Azerbaijan has been able to offer itself as a non Russian source of oil and gas to Europe although it’s friendship agreement with Russia hasn’t passed unoticed and the fact it has been carrying laundered Russian oil and gas hasn’t gone unoticed either. Hence with its relationship with Armenia ailing and needing to keep favour with Azerbaijan and military pressures in Ukraine and difficulties in accessing Armenia, Russia took the decision to abandon the often beholden Armenians. First did nothing when Azerbaijan blocked access causing living standards to plummet, not even allowing the Red Cross, and simply helped to supervise the exodus when Azerbaijan finally attacked to take control.
The chances of Russia discussing with former representatives of the collapsed Arktash government is none, look at facts and work it for yourselves .
Also rightly and wrongly Armenia and it’s people expected more support from Russia than actually occurred. It’s known that nations in an alliance who have been defeated where their protector ally has failed to live up to expectations some them reasonable others not so . Tend to break with the ally who has failed them. This is a bit like being attacked when in company of a friend who doesn’t assist when under attack and the relationship generally collapses afterwards as a result of the failure of duty.
ARF’s statement is mind-boggling. Either time is moving slower in the ARF or they are living in an alternate reality; as if the cruel starvation blockade, the assault and the destruction of Artsakh, the ethnic cleansing of all Armenians from Artsakh, and the subsequent and ongoing destruction of Armenian heritage by Azerbaijan, didn’t happen under the watch of the Russian “peacekeepers” in the past one and a half year. Why don’t these organizations make statements and make plans, that have a doze of reality and are feasible for the future and security of Armenia, because Armenia itself is at stake?
@ Steve M, absolutely so the tone of the main article is disingenuous to say the least. They really don’t seem to relate to actual events.
The only people who are going to die for Armenia and Artsakh are the Armenians themselves.
Pashinyan declared that Artsakh belonged to Azerbaijan.
Pashinyan declared that the Armenian Army would not fight for Artsakh.
What, exactly, were the Russians supposed to do when Pashinyan had given Artsakh away?
Russians are not going to die for Artsakh when Armenians won’t.
Armenians don’t need to die for Artsakh when they know quite well how to destroy the enemy and LIVE for Artsakh. This treasonous government would not allow them to fight. They took away Armenian people’s ability to fight the enemy. They are the ones to blame. Don’t make a blanket statement putting the blame on the Armenian people.
Before the declaration of Pashinian Mr.Puttin declared that Arysakh belong to Azerbaigian and now the statment of Russia that they leave Artsakh due to Pashinyan declaration is ridicoulos. Also the article of ARF is non sense since Artsakh capitolatione is signed by a ARF president who was not elected by people but his governmnt was appointed by russia. In the end, actualy 90% of deported artsakh people will never thrust russia since they understood who was their real enemy
Russian Federation has always considered Arktash as part of Azerbaijan so when Armenia does the same it’s being hypocritical to imply criticism of Armenia for doing the same!
Armenia only recognised it as part of Azerbaijan when after a year and half of blockade with no relief nor counter action from Russia WHO had assumed responsibility after reliving the Armenian army in 2020 which is something that Russia had SOUGHT it became clear that the attempt to unite Arktash with Armenia (which never had international support) had ended in failure
Russia had since 2018 been calling for Armenia to withdraw from internationally recognised Azerbaijan.
Armenia never recognised Arktash as independent nor claimed it as Armenian.
In 2020 Armenia facing defeat signed the tripartite agreement and regular Armenian forces withdrew from internationally recognised Azerbaijan as DESIRED BY RUSSIA.
Russia failed to prevent the blockade of Arktash in violation of its peacekeeping duties.
Armenians did fight and die for Armenia and Arktash but eventually were outmatched.
The moral of the story is once a people put their security in the SOLE care of a FOREIGN military they are DOOMED!
The worst Armenians are those who say Armenia should have withdrawn from internationally recognised Azerbaijan as per Russian calls. Yet when Russia invades Ukraine and seeks conquest praise it.
The abrupt collapse of Armenian positions in 2020 showed to the world that an established paradigm was actually quite fragile and could be changed this emboldened Ukraine to seek to reassert authority in the Donbass which left Russia having to let it’s proxies loose or take radical action. Thus Russia in its betrayal of Armenia set itself up for having to use force to uphold it’s interests in Ukraine. It’s also believed to have emboldened China regarding Taiwan and North Korea regarding South Korea although so far no actual attempt at changing the status quo by force has occurred. Also Russia invasion of Ukraine has forced a change in its priorities and it’s been reducing presence in Armenia and also Syria which the anti Pashinyan Armenians will find difficult to blame on him !
In short Russia simply supervised and assisted Azerbaijan gaining control of Arktash after three years in which time Azerbaijan was able to consolidate it’s position well , and escorted the Armenian population out to Armenia but meant there was no massacre.
@Charles
First of all, I’m amazed and find it quite interesting how you continue to keep NATO member terrorist Turkey out of this conflict and give credit to incompetent Azerbaijan with your fairy tales for what happened in 2020 INVASION and not war. Did you miss all the joint Turkish-Azerbaijani military drills in the occupied Armenian province of Nakhijevan headed by Turkey’s terrorist defense ministry? Did you miss how the Azerbaijani village boy Zakir Hasanov, the Azerbaijani defense minister, was absent from his leadership position and instead it was terrorist Turkish defense minister Hulusi Aakar who was the one in charge making threats against Armenia, without any provocations from Armenia towards Turkey, and that he had become the spokesperson and the mouthpiece for the terrorist Azerbaijani leadership? Did you miss all the NATO supplied weapons terrorist Turkey left behind after joint military drills and transferred and hid them inside Azerbaijan and later during the invasion put them into action, flown by Turkish pilots, to bomb Armenian targets? Did you miss when Russia tried to mediate ceasefire within the first few weeks of the invasion, regardless of Russian’s true intentions, and it was terrorist Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Chavushoglu who told Aliyev not to accept the the ceasefire?
Azerbaijan tried on its own in the first Artsakh Liberation War in 1990s, despite its oil wealth and manpower, and failed miserably. For nearly thirty years Azerbaijan failed to put a dent in the Armenian lines of defense on its own. Azerbaijan tried once again in 2016 only a few years before the Turkish planned and orchestrated invasion using the same kinds of weapons and failed miserably lasting less than a week after a decade of militarization with annual military spending more than Armenia’s entire annual state budget. Despite all these facts, you continue to leave out terrorist Turkey, the valuable and one and only Muslim member of the NATO Christian club, from your discussions and falsely giving credits to those who don’t deserve it. You see, when you ignore all those details, you lose credibility in what you say!
@ Ararat, obviously Turkish support for Azerbaijan is a given kith kin and all of that. Although for the notion of pan Turanisim when the Timurid Tartars invaded in the early 15th century the Armenians sided with the ottoman Turks.. Anyhow not that I’m trying to avoid mentioning Turkey it’s just that there is a limit to how much detail otherwise it becomes a long winded essay! There is the saying can’t do it without help hence the extensive support Turkey provided was crucial to Azerbaijan swaying the outcome. Nevertheless in 2016 Azerbaijan did make territorial gains even if it had errors in its campaign which was called off partly due to Russian pressure. Nevertheless it showed that the reality had changed weapons such as harop suicide drones which were in the sci fri realm in 1994 were an actual reality on the battlefield. Alas too many people viewed the Azeri military from the routed force of 1994 “that was then and this is now”. For many years apart from skirmishes Azerbaijan was biding it’s time the Turk is patient and cunning the ottoman capture of Constantinople was preceded by many years of encircling and chipping away until finally moving in for the kill in 1453 indeed had tried in 1439 but were fended off. Anyhow as for Turkey the odd one out in said Christian club NATO, it’s conduct in the violent breakup of Yugoslavia was clearly biased in favour of the Muslims and lesser extent Catholics and firmly against the Orthodox. Indeed the said organisation is actually a continuatium of Allied Command Europe formed once the USA partook in the war against national socialist Germany. Most Europeans regard NATO as more agnostic and masonic than Christian in ethos.. Turkey is seen as the odd one out especially with the war in Ukraine whilst a weapon supplier to Ukraine and blockade of the Bosporus to entry of Russian warships. It as a NATO member has uniquely declined to close its airspace to civilian flights to and from Russia and maintains far more commercial links with Russia than other NATO members and doesn’t allow warships from non coastal states to enter the Black sea. Hence for a Russia under pressure in Ukraine, (who despite Russian bungles would have lost without massive amounts of support from NATO) keeping favours with Turkey and Azerbaijan is more important to itself than legal ally Armenia! As for the Russian ceasefire attempt, Azerbaijan with Turkish support could sense Armenian weakness so would likely have breached it in little time after all it staged a flare up and Armenia retaliated serving as the signal to launch it’s well planned attack.
@Charles,
I’m going to keep this one short. You just contradicted yourself. On the one hand, you claim Azerbaijan stopped its 2016 campaign partly because of pressure from Russia while, on the other hand, you say Russia always considered Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan for Russia’s self-serving agenda and that Russia never was a genuine ally of Armenia as well as Russia’s interests in the region overlapping with its ally Armenia’s two arch-enemies rather than with Armenia’s. Given these claims, one would think that Russia in the least would keep its nose out of this Azerbaijani campaign of 2016 lasting only a week, if not encourage it, and let it go on and that if Azerbaijan was as prepared as you claim they were, why would they care who thought what and put their money where their mouths were after two decades of militarization and warmongering rhetoric and go all the way rather than stop and once again look humiliated despite the fact that in any military incursion the lines of contact will shift one way or another? The answer once again is that no matter how prepared Azerbaijan was, no matter how they had improved militarily since their first humiliating defeat in 1994, the fact remains that they always were and continue to be militarily incompetent and could not do much without terrorist Turkey’s direct military assistance.
You take out terrorist Turkey out of this conflict and you end up with much different results. You take out dysfunctional inexperienced Pashinyan out of this and you end up with Armenian victory once again because then you have battle-hardened Armenian generals and fighters fighting this fight and not those inexperienced and incompetent ones that Pashinyan replaced them with to be subservient to him instead of keeping them and end up being forcibly removed from his leadership position for his traitorous activities. Finally, don’t confuse incompetent, pacifist and traitor Pashinyan’s defeatist policies with vengeful and ironclad resolve of the Armenian nation towards our enemies. He does not define us and is the black sheep of the family!
P.S. Let’s also remember what Russia’s Putin meant, when referring to the collapse of the Soviet empire, he said that it was “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.” Obviously he wanted to go back to the Soviet times by resurrecting it and in this context, as far as Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict was concerned, Artsakh had to be back under Azerbaijan’s occupation like it was for seven decades of Soviet rule. Meaning, Putin’s stand on Artsakh was not pro-Azerbaijani but pro-Russian only!