US State Department: We’ve not seen that Russia’s military was contributing to a more peaceful and stable South Caucasus region

We’ve not seen anything by the Russian military that would contribute to peace and stability in the South Caucasus. Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Vedant Patel said this at a press briefing in response to the question as to what consequences the withdrawal of the Russian peacekeepers from Artsakh may have for the South Caucasus.

“We were not party to the negotiated trilateral arrangement that ended the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 and established Russian troops in that region. Frankly, we’ve not seen anything to indicate that Russia’s military was contributing to a more peaceful and stable South Caucasus region, and the events in Nagorno-Karabakh over the course of this past fall are pretty indicative of that point, and it’s another highlight or example of how Russia is not a trustworthy ally or partner.

But beyond that, we strongly support efforts by Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach a durable and dignified peace, and we stand ready to continue to help facilitate this process,” Patel said.