Armenian leader tells Putin that Russian peacekeepers lost control over Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian peacekeepers are no longer in control over the situation along the Lachin corridor, a vital artery that links unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told Russian President Vladimir Putin at the informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (post-Soviet political bloc) in St. Petersburg.

The Lachin corridor has been blocked for almost 20 days now, he noted. “This is the zone of Russian peacekeepers’ responsibility in Nagorno Karabakh. And I would like to reiterate that the Lachin corridor should be placed under control of the Russian peacekeeping forces in accordance with the trilateral statement of the Russian and Azerbaijani presidents and the Armenian prime minister. The Republic of Azerbaijan guaranteed the unhampered travel of passengers and shipments along the Lachin corridor.”

On 12 December, Azerbaijani citizens who introduced themselves as environmental activists blocked off the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh. This is the only road that links Karabakh with Armenia.

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According to the trilateral agreements reached following the 2020 Karabakh war, the road “remains under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent”, while Baku provided guarantees that the travel along the corridor in both directions would be safe.

Pashinyan believes that Russia is failing to meet its obligations. He accused the Russian peacekeeping troops of failing to do anything after the de facto blockade was imposed by the Azerbaijani activists. In turn, Moscow said that the authorities are doing everything in their power to maintain order in Nagorno-Karabakh.