Turkey and Armenia May Be Drawn Into a Broader War: The Washington Post

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gave an interview to The Washington Post, addressing Azerbaijan's military aggression in Nagorno-Karabakh and Turkey's involvement in it. According to author David Ignatius, the Prime Minister expressed concern during the interview that this could ultimately lead Turkey and Armenia into a broader conflict.

Pashinyan stated that Turkey is creating instability in neighboring countries, in the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and now in the South Caucasus, which poses an escalating threat to global security. The author also recalls that, aside from the mentioned F-16 incident, since the resumption of the conflict on Sunday, Turkey has been assisting Azerbaijan with drones and mercenaries.

David Ignatius also addresses the positions of world countries regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. “The U.S., Russia, France, and Germany are urging the parties to engage in diplomacy.” Pashinyan said that he and his counterparts have already spoken to senior officials from all these countries. However, no apparent progress has been made towards a ceasefire or resolution talks so far.

The author writes that the State Department is increasingly concerned about the confrontation between a key U.S. ally (NATO member Turkey) and Russia's ally Armenia, adding that, according to Nikol Pashinyan, due to the historical conflict with Turkey, his country is currently facing an 'existential threat.'

Pashinyan also noted that throughout the week, he discussed potential diplomatic resolutions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The author also reminds that the State Department announced on Sunday that the U.S. is worried about reports of large-scale military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh and called for restraint from participating in the escalating conflict, 'implicitly hinting at Turkey.'