Pompeo Clearly Stated That Azerbaijan Is the Aggressor in the War Against Artsakh, American Expert Says

American expert Suren Sargsyan, commenting on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent statements regarding the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, expressed the opinion that Pompeo clearly indicated that the aggressor in the war against Artsakh is Azerbaijan.

“I believe that the U.S. Secretary of State clearly pointed out who the aggressor is and who acted first. Pompeo made a very clear assessment that the aggressor side is indeed Azerbaijan,” Sargsyan said in an interview with Armenpress, referring to Pompeo's statement that he “hopes the Armenians can defend themselves against Azerbaijani actions.”

The American expert believes that if Pompeo’s various statements are viewed within a logical framework, one can conclude that the U.S. very well understands that Azerbaijan is the aggressor in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and that there is clearly Turkey’s involvement.

Sargsyan also noted that the U.S. acknowledges the unique significance of the Russian Federation, and Washington sends clear messages and supports the steps taken by Moscow in addressing the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, namely, the agreement to maintain a ceasefire between the parties. “Washington fully trusts Moscow on this issue, and Washington supports Moscow to establish a ceasefire between the parties,” Sargsyan stated.

Speaking about the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Mike Pompeo mentioned that it is an extremely disputed question. Commenting on that assessment, the expert emphasized that the U.S. Secretary of State made an extremely important statement and, in essence, stressed that Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity has nothing to do with the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. “This, I believe, is the most important remark that we must make, that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity have no relation to each other,” concluded Suren Sargsyan.