Kremlin aide sparks backlash over Karabakh remark

PanARMENIAN.Net - On June 9, Vladimir Medinsky, aide to the President of Russia, stated that if the conflict with Ukraine is halted along the front line without achieving a real peace agreement, the region could become “a giant Karabakh, similar to a disputed territory like Karabakh once was between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” He warned this could lead to nuclear war if Ukraine later tries to retake those lands with NATO allies. His remarks were made to an American journalist from RT and reported by RIA Novosti.

In his words: “If a ceasefire is declared without a real peace deal, the region will become a disputed territory like Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We don’t want to create a pretext for a giant Karabakh, unrecognized by anyone, that could trigger nuclear war.”

This statement provoked an angry response from Baku. According to Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizade, presenting Karabakh as a disputed territory “evokes regret and astonishment.” He accused Medinsky of “distorting the facts of the former Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.”

Hajizade said that “Karabakh has never been a disputed area and has always been part of Azerbaijan, which Russia recognizes.” He also questioned how a high-level official from a Minsk Group co-chair country could “misrepresent his own government's stance.”

Hajizade urged Medinsky not to comment on matters beyond his mandate and to avoid making statements that could harm bilateral relations.

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), subjecting it to heavy shelling. The next day, Artsakh authorities accepted a ceasefire proposal from the Russian peacekeeping mission, agreeing to Baku’s terms including disarmament and dissolution. Over 100,000 Armenians were forcibly displaced to Armenia. As of early 2024, only about 20 ethnic Armenians reportedly remain in the region.