Pashinyan Did Nothing to Prepare the People, Says Thomas de Waal

British journalist, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, and expert on Caucasian affairs Thomas de Waal has commented on the recent agreements reached between Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan concerning Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to De Waal, the agreement is humiliating for the Armenian side, despite there being many unclear points that have not been adequately discussed. "This is a major defeat for the Armenians," the journalist stated.

De Waal also noted that another shocking factor for the Armenian society was that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was doing nothing to prepare the people, even speaking about victory just hours before signing the agreement.

He emphasized that for Azerbaijani forces, capturing Shusha was enough for Baku to declare its victory. "There are many reasons for them to be happy with what they signed," he said, as the agreement transfers control of the seven regions surrounding Karabakh to Azerbaijan, which will serve as a moral boost for the country.

According to De Waal, this was not everything Azerbaijan wanted, but "the country has received more than it ever dreamed of." The expert pointed out that this is also a significant victory for Turkey, as Ankara and its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were deeply involved in this conflict.

De Waal noted that this agreement could lead to Turkish-Armenian rapprochement after Erdoğan's era, no matter how unrealistic that seems at present.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia had reached an agreement on the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In turn, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that he signed a statement with the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan to cease hostilities in the region starting from 01:00.

"The text of the announcement, which has already been published, is indescribably painful for me and our people. I made that decision based on a deep analysis of the military situation and the assessment of those who best understand that situation. Also, based on the conviction that in the created situation, this is the best possible solution. I will provide a detailed message regarding all of this in the coming days," he said.