U.S. touts Scandinavian peacekeepers in Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien believes that Scandinavian peacekeepers should be deployed in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

Meetings the Armenian community of Los Angeles on Friday, October 30, O'Brien said any armed peacekeeping force in the Karabakh conflict zone should not include Minsk Group co-chairs, including the United States, or neighboring countries.

“Any sort of Turkish mediation or peacekeeping role is a non-starter for the United States, as well as for Armenia," O'Brien said.

"We believe that both countries should accept Scandinavian peacekeepers, and we are working with Scandinavian governments to put together a peacekeeping force that could be deployed into the region to keep the ceasefire."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier he doesn't mind the idea of sending Russian peacekeepers to the region but added that all the sides to the conflict should give consent.

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey and Syrian and Libyan mercenaries deployed by Ankara, started a war against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. Foreign and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.