Biden: Trump Administration Must Stop Appeasing Ankara Regarding Nagorno-Karabakh

U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden has issued a statement concerning Nagorno-Karabakh, expressing deep concern about the violation of the ceasefire regime on October 10 and the resurgence of fighting. Biden stated, “Drones, mortars, and long-range artillery are claiming hundreds of lives on both sides of the contact line, displacing thousands of civilians,” as reported by Voice of America.

“Throughout this latest escalation, the Trump administration has been inexplicably passive and disengaged. Since the outbreak of military hostilities on September 27, neither President Trump nor Secretary of State Pompeo has reached out to the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan even as fighting erupted in the region. Instead of empowering Moscow, the administration should be maximally engaged at the highest levels, working with our European partners to de-escalate the fighting and return both sides to negotiations.”

Biden further emphasized, “The Trump administration must tell Azerbaijan that it will not tolerate efforts to impose a military solution to the conflict. Armenia needs to understand that the regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh cannot remain indefinitely occupied, and reliable negotiations for a lasting resolution to the conflict must begin immediately following the signing of a ceasefire.”

“Finally, it must stop appeasing Ankara and tell both Turkey and Iran to stay out of this conflict. The provision of arms to Azerbaijan by Turkey and the bellicose rhetoric encouraging a military resolution are irresponsible. Achieving a diplomatic resolution will not be easy, but the Trump administration is obligated to try. This must be done urgently, before more lives are lost and the conflict expands,” he concluded.