YEREVAN—On the eve of the eighth commemoration of the Four-Day War in April 2016, during which Azerbaijan launched an attack on Artsakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations of ceasefire violations along their shared borders.
The Azerbaijani Ministry alleged that on April 1, 2024, between 10:00 and 10:10 at night, units of the Armenian Armed Forces fired towards Azerbaijani positions in the southwestern border zone in Nakhichevan.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry denied this claim, stating that “no violations were recorded in the directions mentioned in the statement by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.” It responded that Azerbaijani forces initiated gunfire toward Armenian positions in Kut in the Gegharkunik province on April 1 at 10:00 p.m. and in Tegh in the Syunik province on April 2 shortly after midnight.
The traded accusations follow a campaign of disinformation launched by Azerbaijan. On March 31, allegations surfaced from Azerbaijani sources purporting that the Armenian military was in the process of mobilizing forces along their shared border.
Against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia denied the allegations propagated by Azerbaijani authorities. Azerbaijan, through official channels, asserted that Armenia was actively mobilizing its armed forces, accumulating weaponry and fortifying positions along the border, in preparation for an imminent attack.
However, upon thorough investigation, Armenia’s Ministry of Defense determined that Azerbaijan’s claims were unfounded and aimed at manipulating public perception to create a false narrative that could potentially lay the groundwork for a future offensive against Armenia’s sovereign territory.
Despite Azerbaijan’s attempts to cast Armenia in an aggressive light, Armenian authorities said that measures undertaken by their armed forces were purely defensive in nature. These measures were enacted to safeguard Armenia’s territorial integrity and ensure the security and well-being of its citizens.
“The RA Ministry of Defense assesses the recent operational situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border as stable and does not perceive the need to implement additional measures to protect the border,” the Defense Ministry said.
Similarly, the EU monitoring mission deployed in Armenia dismissed any notion of an Armenian military buildup along the frontier. In a post on X, the mission affirmed tranquility along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border throughout their patrols.
Toivo Klaar, the EU’s special representative to the South Caucasus, retweeted the post, emphasizing the mission’s role in providing transparency and building confidence. He underscored the mission’s readiness for further engagement with Azerbaijan.
Good to have confirmation from @EUmARMENIA that no unusual military movements have been observed. That is what the purpose of the mission is: to provide greater transparency and build confidence. It remains open to more engagement also with the authorities of 🇦🇿. https://t.co/hIxU5wvqTh
— Toivo Klaar (@ToivoKlaar) March 31, 2024
Amid escalating tensions, Baku has intensified its criticism of the EU mission and the EU as a whole ahead of Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s upcoming trilateral meeting in Brussels with the EU and U.S. Azerbaijani authorities have portrayed the meeting as evidence of Western bias towards Armenia, alleging encouragement of destabilizing actions.
Armenian circles have speculated that Baku could launch offensive military operations to disrupt the Brussels talks. Pashinyan has also voiced his concerns, accusing Azerbaijan of seeking excuses to instigate a large-scale conflict in the region.
During a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 3, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné expressed concern over the increasing intensity of Azerbaijan’s rhetoric and dissemination of propaganda. He emphasized the importance of vigilance in the lead-up to the 29th Climate Conference (COP 29), which will be hosted by Azerbaijan.
“We see an increasing number of fake news as well coming from Baku, and they tend to blame Armenia for the responsibility of an escalation, even though Armenia is probably the only one willing and trying to avoid it in this part of the world,” Séjourné said.
During a news briefing on April 2, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasized the importance of maintaining calm amidst escalating tensions in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict zone. Miller reiterated the United States’ stance, cautioning against any rhetoric or actions that could lead to increased hostilities along the border.
In response to Baku’s claims of military provocations by Yerevan, particularly in light of Prime Minister Pashinyan’s upcoming meeting with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Miller sought to assuage Azerbaijani concerns. He clarified that the discussions in Brussels were primarily focused on Armenia’s internal reforms, democracy, economy and resilience, rather than the peace process.
The unprecedented talks between Blinken, von der Leyen and Pashinyan appear as a display of Western support for Armenia’s efforts to distance itself from Russia. However, Moscow has predictably criticized these developments, highlighting the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.
Azerbaijani government-controlled media outlets have also reported impending military action unless Armenia withdraws from four disputed border areas in Armenia’s Tavush province. In another tweet, Klaar condemned these threats against Armenia, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to regional stability.
“Threats against Armenia in Azerbaijani media channels are unacceptable. Genuine negotiations on border delimitation are needed and all territorial disputes must be settled peacefully and as part of an agreed process,” Klaar wrote on X on March 25.
On April 3, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken engaged in a crucial phone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The discussion centered on Azerbaijan’s concerns regarding the upcoming tripartite meeting in Brussels.
According to Azerbaijani media, Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of addressing these concerns directly with President Aliyev. The focal point of the impending meeting, Blinken highlighted, would be centered on the economic development of Armenia.
In the wake of escalating tensions, residents of the Voskepar village in the Tavush province have voiced deep apprehensions in a handwritten letter delivered directly to PM Pashinyan regarding recent statements from the Armenian government concerning the potential return of areas adjacent to their settlement to Azerbaijan.
The message, signed by nearly all members of the community, outlined the historical context and challenges faced by the region, stemming from the intricate border arrangements inherited from the Soviet era. Residents recounted instances of violence and kidnappings by Azerbaijani forces along border roads following the collapse of the USSR, emphasizing the sacrifices made to secure their right to live and move freely.
Amidst discussions of territorial integrity, residents expressed staunch opposition to any territorial concessions, highlighting concerns about the safety and security of their families and communities. They underscored the strategic significance of maintaining existing defense lines and reiterated their determination to defend their homeland at any cost.
Residents urged Prime Minister Pashinyan to explore alternative solutions that would not compromise their security or infringe upon their fundamental rights. They emphasized the enduring history and cultural heritage of their villages, dating back centuries, and affirmed their commitment to safeguarding their way of life.
Residents voiced hope that their concerns would be taken into consideration, urging the government to prioritize the protection of their communities and the preservation of Armenia’s territorial integrity.
Three weeks prior, Pashinyan had expressed his readiness to unilaterally hand over four villages in Tavush to Azerbaijan, eliciting backlash from residents and political opponents alike.
Discontent with Pashinyan’s actions can be seen in the results of a recent survey conducted by MPG LLC, a full member of the “GALLUP International Association” in Armenia. The survey revealed that a staggering 75-percent of citizens hold a negative view of Pashinyan’s performance as prime minister. Only eight-percent of respondents expressed a positive assessment.
Aram Navasardyan, director of MPG LLC, highlighted the significant shift in public opinion since January 2023. He noted that while 13.8-percent of citizens viewed Pashinyan’s work positively in January, and 16.2-percent in March, this figure has dwindled to eight-percent in one year. Additionally, nearly 20-percent of respondents indicated a rather negative evaluation, with a striking 47.1-percent expressing an overall negative assessment.
Navasardyan emphasized the gravity of these findings, describing them as highly revealing and unprecedented in their magnitude.
Hoory Minoyan
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With one word ,
Damn you Pashinyan…
You put Armenia in the process of extinction..
The number one threat to Armenia is incompetent and traitorous Pashinyan himself. His behavior and cowardice is shameful and is enabling our enemy criminal leadership’s belligerence while hiding behind NATO member terrorist Turkey. I have never known any leader of a country who intimidates his own people to give into enemy demands instead of preparing and encouraging them to defend the homeland. The concept of a homeland is alien to this defeatist psychopath. Everything is a business transaction to unpatriotic pathetic so-called leader to save his own skin. He lies to people constantly with impunity. He conducts secret behind the scenes meetings with the enemy with one-sided concessions while misinforming people until the time is ripe for him to reveal the truth behind his lies. He is buying himself time by his destructive actions.
Artificial Azerbaijani terrorist forces have infiltrated sovereign Armenian territory and refuse to leave but he is less concerned about that than he is about appeasing the enemy. How can one even want to take such drastic steps against his own people, an ethnic-cleansing from within, when the borders between Armenia and artificial Azerbaijan have not even been determined yet? He is a true loser and a shameful stain on our nation. His presence is the primary threat to our homeland. In his absence, the enemy would still have been hiding in its fox holes like it did for three decades. The sooner he goes the sooner the enemy will come to its senses because only then it will feel the Armenian strength on his coward skin like it did and cried about it for thirty years. Loser and traitor Pashinyan has got to go!
Nothing but shame, defeat and disgrace.
Either the Armenian Army mounts a coup or the Armenian people must stage a revolution.
Either way, Pashinyan must be made to flee.
Let him go to the Diaspora. He’s their man, after all.
Armenia must stop livinv in shame.
Ararat,
Your outrage is a bit too little and a bit too late. From what I remember you were one of our democracy advocates and Russophobes. You therefore participated in making all this possible. So, enjoy the show. And when or if Russians decide to annex Armenia one day to stop it from disappearing from the world map, say spasiba…
@Robert Whig,
First of all, unlike in the past long before Armenia’s independence from the now-defunct Soviet Union in 1991, today there are two distinct Armenian Diasporas: The Traditional Armenian Diaspora and the Modern Armenian Diaspora. The Traditional Diaspora Armenians are mostly the new generations of Armenians survived from the terrorist Turkish state-sponsored and pre-meditated 1915 Armenian Genocide. The Modern Diaspora Armenians are primarily from contemporary Armenia displaced and even forced out, involuntarily I would say, as a result of Armenian government’s internal policies over the last three decades. As such, only the latter that is the Modern Diaspora Armenians, politically ignorant and gullible Armenians with Armenian citizenship and those with dual-citizenship, could cast their votes to elect into office a liar and unpatriotic scoundrel like Pashinyan. The former Traditional Diaspora Armenians, on the other hand, have spent decades and enormous financial and human resources to advance the Armenian interests internationally as well as working towards holding terrorist Turkey responsible for the Armenian Genocide across the globe. Pashinyan with his disastrous anti-Armenian policies is trying to scrap all their sacrifices and efforts in the name of his hollow and juvenile so-called “era of peace” with our genocidal enemies who are bent on destroying our statehood. These are the facts and you can, I already have, heard these ideas straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak. So let’s get it right. The Traditional Armenian Diaspora, mostly from the Middle East, want to have nothing to do with this traitor in office!
Wrong again Ararat. The North American diaspora was instrumental in bringing Nikol to power. Many of the Western NGOs and religious cults in Armenia, those that fomented the Color Revolution in 2018, have individuals from the traditional diaspora behind them. Besides the mismanagement and corruption by Armenia’s leaders, those who also paved the road to where we are today are men like Jirayr Libaridian, Raffi Hovanissian, Vartan Oskanian as well as celebrity riff-raff like Serj Tankian and Arsine Khanjian…
@Gurgen,
I was talking about casting the actual votes by those who were eligible to do so. Practically, none of them were from the Traditional Diaspora Armenians who voted Pashinyan into office. If they, like many Armenians in Armenia and those outside of Armenia as part of the Modern Diaspora Armenians, helped bring Pashinyan into power that means they were equally fooled by Pashinyan and his fake so-called “Velvet Revolution” which was nothing more than a regime change.
But today, unlike many members of the Modern Armenian Diaspora group who are still in support of Pashinyan, the Traditional Diaspora Armenians united as one have distanced themselves from that scoundrel after realizing what a liar and a unpatriotic flip-flopper he and his team had been. Furthermore, because they have been awakened to his traitorous foreign policy decisions vis-à-vis our enemies as well as some of his disastrous domestic policy decisions such as suggesting the removal of monuments dedicated to our past national heroes and changes in our constitution to please our enemies are in the process of wiping clean and eliminating all the sacrifices they had made over many decades. They were both bamboozled by this con artist.
In any event, if he had any dignity and sense of patriotism he would have walked away four years ago!
@Gurgen
You remember wrong! You need to check your memory. I have always said and maintained that I am neither pro-West nor pro-Russia. I am only pro Armenia. It is no secret that you, on the other hand, are anti-West and keep glorifying Russia and want Armenia to give up its independence and become a Russian province much like the autonomous regions in the North Caucasus in Southern Russia. If you have incompetent leaders that does not mean you have to resign living under dictatorships just to feel secure. With that kind of mentality you will never be free and you will always live like a beggar who is too lazy or incompetent to provide for himself and will always be indebted to someone else who owns him. Unfortunately, there are many Armenians who suffer from the Stockholm Syndrome!
Armenia is as important to Russia as Russia is to Armenia but only under the right Armenian and Russian leaderships and not the ones today run by dysfunctional Pashinyan and an ex-KGB chief whose mentality is his way or the highway. If Armenia was not important to Russia, they would have closed down their military bases and would have left and gone back to where they came from long time ago. At least in this case they could leave with their heads held high instead of being kicked out like they were from the neighboring republics. Armenia is very critical to Russia’s existence as a superpower. If Russia loses Armenia, Russia loses the entire Caucasus. Nobody wants them in the South Caucasus and they exist in the North Caucasus because they installed puppet regimes there, much like hand-picked local governors, subservient to Russia after two dipterous and costly wars.
We need competent and seasoned leaders who can make clear to Russia that Armenia is not a Russian outpost and a toy to play with and use it to solve issues they have with our enemies and at Armenia’s expense. A leader who can maintain strong relations with Russia but on equal grounds and not like a master-slave relation. A leader who can make foreign policy decisions independent of Russia. A leader whose number one priority must be Armenia and not any other foreign entity. If Russia can’t commit to that, just because they object to the will of the Armenian people and want to continue acting like colonial Russia, then they can’t be considered a trusted partner. Russia’s mouthpiece, puppet and lapdog Lukashenko the Belarusian president recently made it crystal clear how they view Armenia when he said “where is Armenia going to go?” when talking about CSTO the Collective Security Treaty Organization led by Russia. He could not have been any clearer what they think of Armenia. Majority CSTO member states are Turkic and have closer relations with our enemies than they do with us. When there was an uprising in Kazakhstan recently, the CSTO under Russian leadership sent troops there to put down the uprising overnight practically but they did not even lift a finger to assist Armenia when NATO member terrorist Turkey moved into our backyard militarily and planned and conducted the 2020 invasion on artificial and militarily incompetent Azerbaijan’s behalf. The very same Russia that has razed Ukraine to the ground only under the suspicion of Ukraine wanting to join NATO! Come on wake up already!
Armenians are systematically being led to the slaughter once again because Armenians refuse to understand the nature and character of the political world they live in once again. With a people this politically illiterate and out of touch with reality, I guess it could not have been any other way. I hope all you champions of “independence”, “democracy” and “westernization” are enjoying the nightmare of the past 6 years. You got your dream in 2018 in the form of a Western-financed “democratic” revolution in Armenia. You then got what you truly deserved in 2020, a historic defeat. The only way to save what’s left of Armenia is to bring her back to Mother Russia. All other “solutions” will only prolong the misery and put the country’s very existence in danger.
Gurgen, are you serious about Mother Russia? this is the same Mother Russia that let down the Armenian and Artsakh armies. Russia has it’s problems and they will not assist or in anyway try to resolve territorial integrity.
I personally do not think you are resolving any issues at all with your further comments “you then got what you truly deserved in 2020, a historic defeat” Amoth, is that what you call valued integrity and or personal thoughts about your perception of what Armenia should do and or not do? are you serious. You have totally and utterly stuffed up and disrespected the lives lost by Armenia/Artsakh forces in that war. That was a war to protect Artsakh and it’s integrity. Russia as I wrote before has it’s own problems, they had the opportunity to assist but failed. Your argument and statement is totally out of dream world.
Robert, this has been discussed ad nauseum. Karabakh was Armenia’s fight, not Russia’s. Russia was never on board with our claims over Karabakh. In any case, it was Pashinyan that abandoned Karabakh. Russians could only watch because they are in an existential fight against the collective West in Ukraine. Russia will however return its attention to the south Caucasus. By flirting with the West, we are angering both Russia and Iran.
The best defence is an effective offence. Let’s stop playing the role of victims and punch a whole in Azeris guts.
The greatest problem is that Armenia itself is rather weak. Pashinyan is a poor leader who is being blackmailed and bamboozled by Azerbaijan. Hence even if he is replaced by a different person some problems won’t go away. Say if an ardently pro Russian leader and government is formed given the international situation Turkey and Azerbaijan can simply claim to be acting on the wests behalf at a mini me Russia echoing the catasophic miscalculation milosevic made for the serbs in the 1990s . If a more pro western leader takes office but of more competence the issue of the relative weakness of Armenia will once again become apparent. Whilst in such circumstances the west can provide some support given the geographic reality and Ukraine being a primary concern it’s quite possible that beyond some sanctions and platitudes nothing of substance will be provided .
I don’t know how “Robert Whig” got the idea that Pashinyan is more popular in the Diaspora, that’s ridiculous and slanderous. In the first place, it was Armenians, in Armenia, who voted for Pashinyan, again, after Armenians in Artsakh were defeated in 2020. Armenians (without dual citizenship) cannot even vote for political candidates in Armenia. I’m in San Francisco, California, and I hear a mouthful of disgust about Pashinyan’s time in power. Just go read Harut Sassounian’s editorials, from Glendale’s California Courier, republished here, as well, and you’ll get an idea about what I’m talking about..
Pashinian was brought to power by Soros, and Soros is not a friend of Armenians, and also unless oil and gas is not interrupted, the west will not move a finger,
Armenia needs state of the art weapons and lots of them. Armenia needs them now, not later. Like Napoleon, Pashinyan needs to go into exile. Armenians the world over need to unite. Charles de Gaulle of France once said, “l’Union fait la Force”. The only thing the Azeri freak understands is a good spanking.
Gurgen stop your useless Russian communist style propaganda Mother Russia is not our motherland, Mayr Hayastan is our mother land , You can take your Russian motherland and go to hell.
Your “independent” Armenia is already half way to hell but you are too out of touch with reality to understand it. Your kind is bringing about another genocide.
Richard, you seem way too sensitive. You havent rebutted any Gurgen’s point, but attack illogically and emotionally, trying to show off a fake bravado, that is devoid in your life
So sad. …
AZERIS, TURKS, AND OTHER MONGOL HOARDES UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT ONLY ONE LANGUAGE: VIOLENCE. ARMENIA MUST PUT TOGETHER ITS PHYSICISTS AND DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND AIM THEM AT BAKU AND ISTANBUL AND OTHER HIGH PRIORITY TARGETS. BORDER SHOOTINGS AND OTHER THREATS WILL IMMEDIATELY STOP. WIPE OUT HALF THE AZERI BORDER ARMIES TO PUSH BACK THE BASTARDS AND MAKE THEM THINK TWICE ABOUT WHY THEY WERE BORN.
@Truth Armenian
Russia nuclear weapons haven’t stopped Ukraine from causing it no end of losses.
Israel presumed although not officially affirmed nuclear weapons haven’t stopped it from coming under repeated and more extensive attacks.
Thus calm down and focus on more usable weapons
@CHARLES
ARMENIA IS AT DEFCON 1. WE’RE PAST THE POINT OF REMAINING CALM.
WE ARE BEYOND USABLE WEAPONS AT THIS POINT SINCE ISRAEL IS DELIVERING AZERBAIJAN WITH ADVANCED WEAPONRY WITH ITS PETRO DOLLARS THAT ARMENIA CAN’T AFFORD TO PURCHASE. IT MUST DEVELOP ITS OWN MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX WITH EVERY CITIZEN TRAINED AS A MILITARY ASSET.
YES, BECAUSE NEITHER RUSSIA NOR ISRAEL HAVE USED THEM. GOOGLE “THE SAMSON OPTION” REGARDING ISRAEL AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
WORLD WAR II ENDED WHEN THE USA ACTUALLY <<<<>>>> ITS TWO ATOMIC BOMBS ON JAPAN TO FORCE A QUICK SURRENDER.
@Truth Armenian
For starters it’s bad form to write in capitals only even if the editors allow it to pass in your case
How an earth do you think Armenia can do so besides if Armenia is attempting to develop nuclear weapons Azerbaijan and Turkey can attack and get a pat on the head from the west for ensuring nuclear non proliferation. As I’ve stated the enemies of Russia and Israel have not been deterred by their nuclear weapons so no reason to expect Turkey or Azerbaijan to be similarly deterred in the event of Armenia having such weapons, especially as they seem to be a white elephant folly as since the two uses in Japan in August 1945 haven’t been used in conflict since and thus have lost their clout, and just seen as a scare stick because you never know…
Don’t worry about him using cap letters. you get the point he is making.
WORLD WAR II ENDED WHEN THE USA ACTUALLY USED ITS TWO ATOMIC BOMBS ON JAPAN TO FORCE A QUICK SURRENDER.
We should definitely pursue the nuclear path and acquire nuclear weapons. That could be a game changer. Both the kinds used over Japan as well as dirty nuclear bombs. The former could be a major deterrent and will make the enemy think twice about any all-out war. Unlike the former, which can cause massive death and destruction on impact and create a cloud of radiation which will spread tens to hundreds of square miles causing more deaths over time, the latter can be as devastating in death and destruction but with radiation dispersed and limited to within a few blocks or miles of the explosion.
We already have other major options to pursue until the nuclear weapon acquisition is materialized. We could bring the enemy to its knees by hitting their oil & gas pipelines disrupting their economy, if not bringing it to a complete halt, and hit and destroy their water reservoirs with precision rockets to flood their towns and villages. We should have done this in the first days of late September 2020 joint invasion planned and conducted by Turkey’s terrorist defense ministry using NATO supplied weapons and Azerbaijani armed forces and on behalf of their incompetent military. The oil & gas flow disruption alone would have dragged the spineless double-dealing Europeans into the conflict and make them want to end the invasion instead of standing on the sidelines doing nothing.
It was a bit easier when no other nation had such means and a monopoly of force ⚛️. There are those who said Armenia buying 4 SU 30 jets without any bombs and missiles for 100 million US $ was a fantastic waste of money for no benefit as they had no arminents to advance national interests . Yet you seem to want Armenia which is strapped for cash to waste resources on such follies. Look at the difficulty Iran with far more resources than Armenia has in such a quest although presumabed to be close by now. Jammmers drones missiles shells better way forward.
Pashinyan is the Zelinsky of the South Caucuses. If he is not removed from office, Armenia is a burnt toast.
Pashinyan is to blame for all of this. If a second Armenian Genocide starts, the blood will be on Pashinyan’s hands alone. The oligarchs, the foreign agents, the bureaucrats, and the bankers should all meet their fate in the center of Republic Square for their treason. The Fedayis will rise again. Karkut Hayastan