UNITED STATES—On Thursday, October 1, President Donald Trump, President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Emmanuel Macron of France called for a ceasefire in Artsakh, urging Armenia and Azerbaijan to commit to talks.
The Republic of Artsakh, or the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, is an autonomous state in the Caucasus. It has an overwhelming Armenian population and is governed by Armenians, though it is considered Azerbaijani territory. Artsakh’s declaration of independence from Azerbaijan sparked a war in the early 1900s.
After a ceasefire, border clashes have persisted over the years. The latest, and ongoing, fighting ignited on September 27. Armenia and Azerbaijan have accused each other of provocation, hitting civilian areas, using heavy caliber weapons, drones and airstrikes.
“We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the relevant military forces. We also call on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to commit without delay to resuming substantive negotiations,” expressed Trump, Putin and Macron in a joint statement.
The United States, Russia and France are the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group which has sought to negotiate the conflict since the 1990s.
President Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, who vows support to Azerbaijan, dismissed the OSCE Minsk Group’s initiative. He and President Ilham Erdoğan of Azerbaijan have repeatedly stated that the crisis will halt only when Armenian forces have left the territory.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan previously stated: “In a situation where there is a large-scale aggression, I can say with confidence that the people of Karabakh will not retreat in the face of the aggression.”
