Rapid Fire
Russian Peacekeepers' Withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh
- 20 Apr 2024
- 1 min read
Russian peacekeepers have initiated their withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan's recapture of the disputed territory from Armenian separatists in September 2023.
- The decision for the withdrawal was agreed between Baku (Azerbaijan) and Moscow at the "highest levels."
- Nagorno-Karabakh, is a mountainous region in the Caucasus (the transcontinental region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea), internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but predominantly inhabited by ethnic Armenians.
- The conflict began in the late 1980s when the region declared independence from Azerbaijan, leading to a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- A ceasefire in 1994 left Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas under Armenian control, but frequent violations and failed negotiations followed.
- In 2020, Azerbaijan won the Second Karabakh War, regaining control of seven surrounding districts and a third of Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia brokered a peace deal and deployed peacekeepers in the region.
- The conflict has strained relations between Russia and Armenia, as Moscow maintains warm ties with Baku.
- Armenia announced that it has effectively suspended its participation in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a defense alliance.
Read more: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
