Armenia calls on US to intervene in Nagorno-Karabakh

"Azerbaijan has now begun large-scale military operations against the peaceful population of Nagorno-Karabakh," Armenian Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan wrote on the social network X (the new name for Twitter). "Now it is the US's turn to consider measures to stop Azerbaijan's actions to protect the suffering civilians in the region."

Armenia's diplomat has called on US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Union (EU) leaders to jointly condemn Baku's actions.

An Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19, 2023. Photo: Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense

Edmon Marukyan's call came as the Azerbaijani military announced on September 19 that it had launched an "anti-terrorist operation" in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The move came after Azerbaijan said six of its citizens had been killed by landmines in two separate incidents and blamed "illegal Armenian armed groups".

CNN quoted Armenian officials as saying that Azerbaijan's artillery, missile and drone attacks on Nagorno-Karabakh killed at least five people, including one child, and injured 80 others.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry on September 19 demanded "the complete withdrawal of Armenian troops from the region." In response, the Armenian Foreign Ministry affirmed that its troops are still stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Commenting on the call for "US intervention" by Armenian Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan, Russia demanded that all parties respect the 2020 ceasefire agreement.

"There should be no turning back," RT quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. "There should be concrete efforts based on the legal framework, creating opportunities for peaceful solutions for the parties involved."

Smoke rises from an area in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19, 2023. Photo: Azerbaijan Defense Ministry/AP

Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan in 1988 and has been backed by Yerevan ever since. Baku lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas in the early 1990s but regained partial control after a 44-day war in 2020.

Nagorno-Karabakh, home to about 120,000 ethnic Armenians but internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, has been the source of conflict between the two neighbours for the past three decades.

The 2020 conflict ended with a Moscow-brokered ceasefire that included the deployment of a 2,000-strong Russian peacekeeping force to the region. However, Armenia has said Russia is unwilling to defend Armenia against Azerbaijan, despite the two countries being longtime allies.

Tensions have flared up again in recent months after Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin corridor in December last year, cutting off the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/armenia-keu-goi-my-can-thiep-vao-nagorno-karabakh-20230920084155099.htm