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Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged accusations about violating the humanitarian armistice
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that nearly 5,000 people have fallen victim to the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
This number is much higher than the number of deaths announced by the two warring parties.
Putin said that he speaks to both sides several times a day, and that he will not take a party to the ongoing conflict.
He indicated that Moscow does not agree with Turkey – which supports Azerbaijan – on what is happening. He called on the United States to help seek peace in the region.
Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged accusations about violating the humanitarian armistice in Nagorno Karabakh.
The fighting broke out a month ago in the disputed region between the two countries, and it is considered the fiercest round since a war that ended with a ceasefire agreement in 1994.
What did Putin say?
Armenia is a military ally of Russia, and it hosts a Russian army base. But Russia has close relations with Azerbaijan as well.
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The fighting, which broke out a month ago, is the fiercest since 1994
During a televised interview, Vladimir Putin said that “there are a lot of losses on both sides, more than 2000 (dead) on each side.” He added that the number is close to five thousand.
The latest official figures announced were that less than a thousand people were killed.
The local authorities in Nagorno Karabakh had announced the killing of 874 soldiers in their ranks and 37 civilians since 27 September.
While Azerbaijan announced the killing of 61 of its citizens, without disclosing the number of its military deaths.
Putin said that he is in “constant” contact with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and that he will not side with either side.
Putin referred to the incompatibility with Turkey regarding the ongoing conflict, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “may sound harsh, but he is a flexible politician and a reliable partner for Russia.”
He called on the United States to “work in perfect harmony” with Russia to end the conflict.
Talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan are expected to take place on Friday in Washington, during the meeting of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with his counterparts from both sides.
The latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh
Despite the approval at the weekend of a Russian-sponsored truce, fighting continued and hundreds were killed.
On Thursday, Azerbaijan announced that it was fighting in several regions, and accused Armenia of launching three ballistic missiles on its territory, which the Armenian side denied.
Armenia spoke of fighting in several locations, while official sources announced that Martoni and the surrounding villages had been bombed.
The Prime Minister of Armenia said that there is “no diplomatic solution” at this stage.
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