Your trusted source

Armenian opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan rejected criticism of the Russian peacekeeping troops in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) over their failure to prevent Azerbaijani blockade of the Lichen corridor, Artsakh’s sole overland link to Armenia, as well as the Azeri aggression against Armenia in 2020 and 2022.

In a social media post on Tuesday, the lawmaker opined that the Russian peacekeeping forces fully performed their functions in line with the November 9 statement that ended the 2020 war in Artsakh.

“Should the issue of the Russian peacekeeping mission’s withdrawal from Artsakh be raised? Definitely no!” he wrote on Facebook.

“What would happen if Russian troops pulled out of Artsakh? It would threaten new Azerbaijani attack,” the MP said. “Even if the Russian [military] presence helps delay that attack and buy time, it’s not bad either. It is another thing that you need to use the time and get ready.”

Also, Abrahamyan opined that the deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force to Nagorno-Karabakh sought by the Armenian authorities may not help prevent fresh Azerbaijani aggression.

He stressed the need for “intensive contacts” with Russia to deter possible Azerbaijani aggression.