Putin, Trump, Macron Urge Karabakh Truce Opposed by Erdogan
Putin, Macron Call for Cease-Fire as Azeri-Armenian Fight Rages
(Bloomberg) -- Vladimir Putin issued a joint call with Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron for Armenians and Azerbaijanis to halt their worst fighting in decades over disputed land.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan set himself against the three powers, which act as the so-called Minsk Group of mediators that have tried without success to resolve the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for nearly three decades. The demand for a truce is “unacceptable” and the crisis will only end when Armenian forces have left Azerbaijani territory, he told Turkey’s parliament Thursday.
Macron accused Turkey of allowing Syrian militants from jihadist groups to pass through its territory en route to the battlefield in Azerbaijan, telling reporters at a European Union summit in Brussels that “this is a very serious new fact that is also changing the situation.” Turkey and Azerbaijan have previously denied the allegation.
The Russian, U.S. and French presidents demanded an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in their joint statement, the highest-level intervention since the crisis erupted Sunday. Macron went further in Brussels and said strikes began with “no justification” in Azerbaijan, becoming the first leader to contradict President Ilham Aliyev’s claim that his country had counterattacked against Armenia.
The diplomatic confrontation adds to tensions between Russia and Turkey over proxy conflicts in Syria and Libya. Russia has an army base in Armenia and the two nations have a mutual-defense pact, though it doesn’t cover the disputed territory. Azerbaijan, which has close historical and linguistic ties to Turkey, hosted large-scale joint exercises with the Turkish military last month.
Macron’s comments came a day after Russia’s Foreign Ministry raised concerns that “militants of illegal armed groups” from Syria and Libya were being sent to Nagorno-Karabakh and demanded their immediate withdrawal.
Aliyev has vowed to continue the fight until Armenian forces leave Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts that were taken during a war after the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.
Armenia has accused Turkey of military involvement alongside Azerbaijan and asked the international community to help. Ankara and Baku deny Turkish forces are taking part in combat.
Armenia says it’s defending Nagorno-Karabakh’s right to self-determination after its Armenian majority declared independence. Aliyev says his forces are fighting to restore control over land internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
The current violence is more intense and widespread than at any time since Russia brokered a 1994 cease-fire to halt the war that killed about 30,000 and displaced more than a million people. Each side has accused the other of hitting civilian areas, using heavy caliber weapons, drones and airstrikes. Many of the claims haven’t been verified.
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