© Photo: Maria Novoselova/Vestnik Kavkaza
Political analyst Igor Korotchenko analyzed the reasons for the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Azerbaijan and summed up the work of their mission in the Karabakh economic region of the Azerbaijan Republic, exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza.
The withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan records the new reality that has emerged in the South Caucasus after the Karabakh issue was solved. Igor Korotchenko, director general of the Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies (Russia), editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, and political analyst, told Vestnik Kavkaza about this, commenting on the joint decision of Moscow and Baku to terminate the peacekeeping mission.
“Last year, very serious military-political changes took place in the region. The Russian peacekeeping contingent was introduced into Karabakh in order to record the interim results of the Karabakh war: Russian peacekeeping posts were placed along the line of contact between the parties, as it was at the time of the cessation of hostilities on November 10, 2020, and along the Lachin corridor. The status of Russian peacekeepers was initially exactly that,” the expert said.
“In September 2023, as you know, anti-terrorist operation were carried out, the Karabakh economic region came under the full control of Azerbaijan, and the Armenian population voluntarily left it, moving to the territory of Armenia. In this regard, a new reality was formed. In light of the new reality, Moscow and Baku made a decision on the phased withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent from the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan, which is currently happening,” Igor Korotchenko said.
