Azerbaijan seizes Nagorno-Karabakh, displacing thousands of Armenians
- Armenians and Azerbaijanis have been involved in a conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh since the late 1980s.
- Azerbaijani forces launched an offensive in 2023, resulting in significant territorial gains and displacing over 100,000 Armenians.
- International efforts, particularly by the United States and the European Union, have been made to facilitate peace negotiations between the two countries.
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region contested by Armenia and Azerbaijan, has intensified recently following a long history of hostilities dating back to the late 1980s. In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Armenian forces, resulting in significant territorial gains, including parts of Nagorno-Karabakh. This escalation led to a ceasefire agreement mediated by Russia, but tensions remained high over the years. In late 2023, Azerbaijan once again broke the ceasefire, launching additional offensives that resulted in even more territory being captured. The humanitarian impact of these military actions has been severe, with more than 100,000 Armenians displaced from their homes as they fled the advancing Azerbaijani forces, leading to urgent international concerns about the stability of the region. Attempts to broker peace have involved various international actors, including the United States and European Union, who have facilitated meetings between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. These meetings aimed to establish a framework for lasting peace, which included discussions on a new route connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan through Armenia. Despite the supportive diplomatic engagements from the U.S., concerns regarding regional stability have persisted, especially as countries like Russia and Iran criticized U.S. involvement, claiming it undermined their influence. Overall, the long-standing conflict highlights the complexities of geopolitics in the Caucasus region and the ongoing pursuit of a peaceful resolution by the involved parties and international stakeholders.