Pashinyan explains why Artsakh war was stopped on November 9
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday testified before the parliamentary commission probing the causes and course of the 2020 Artsakh war, explaining why the hostilities were stopped on November 9.
He claimed the capture of the fortress town of Shushi by Azerbaijani forces was a turning point in the war which led to the signing of a Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement on November 9.
"Naturally, the fall of Shushi played a critical role. What is essential here is not only the symbolic role of Shushi, but also its strategic value. After the fall of Shushi, Stepanakert would have essentially come under attack, the pressure on Martuni would have increased and, most importantly, nearly 25,000 Armenian troops would have been encircled,” Pashinyan stated.
He said that the 9 November 2020 statement was their fifth attempt to stop the war.