Russian SVR: The West provoking Armenians, Azerbaijanis into conflict

PanARMENIAN.Net - The West is trying to provoke Armenian and Azerbaijani nationalists to break the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergey Naryshkin said Wednesday, November 18.

"They are trying to convince the Armenians that the peace in Nagorno-Karabakh is a defeat for Yerevan, throwing in the idea of "war to the bitter end". Azerbaijanis, on the contrary, are told that the Kremlin “stole their victory” when the Azerbaijani army was one step away from taking Stepanakert," Naryshkin said, according to RIA Novosti.

According to Naryshkin, the actions of the West indicate that "the United States and its European friends, as always, solve their problems at the expense of the interests of ordinary people – Azerbaijanis and Armenians, in this case."

"Americans and Europeans do not worry that their provocations may lead to new bloodshed and plunge the region into a serious military conflict."

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev have signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Karabakh (Artsakh) President Arayik Harutyunyan has said he has agreed to the deal signed by Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan.