Armenia and Azerbaijan: Ceasefire After Two Days of Clashes

A senior official in Armenia announced late on Wednesday an agreement for a ceasefire with Azerbaijan after two days of violence related to the decades-long conflict between the two former Soviet republics over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. There have been no statements from Azerbaijan regarding the ceasefire, which is expected to halt the deadliest fighting between the countries since 2020. Russian news agencies quoted Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan saying on local television, "Thanks to the intervention of the international community, an agreement was reached to stop the fighting." The announcement stated that "the ceasefire has been in effect for several hours." Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had earlier informed parliament that 105 of his country's soldiers had been killed since the violence began this week. Azerbaijan reported 50 military fatalities on the first day of fighting. Reuters was unable to verify the accounts from either side. Grigory Karasin, a senior member of the Russian Federation Council, told Russian media that Russian diplomatic efforts played a significant role in achieving the ceasefire. He added, "Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Pashinyan. Putin called for calm after the outbreak of violence, and other countries urged both sides to show restraint." Pashinyan noted in his speech to parliament that "his country had called on the Collective Security Treaty Organization, led by Moscow, for assistance in restoring its territorial integrity." He was quoted by TASS news agency as saying, "If we say that Azerbaijan has launched aggression against Armenia, this means it has managed to assert control over some territories."