The Economist on the Lachin Corridor and Aliyev's Statements

Artsakh has been under blockade for a month now, as a group of protesters supported by the Azerbaijani government has begun a demonstration on the only road connecting Armenia to the world. As a result, traffic on the road has come to a halt, and tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians living in Artsakh have been cut off from the outside world. This is reported by The Economist.

The immediate goal of the blockade appears to be the establishment of Azerbaijani checkpoints on the road leading to Stepanakert. However, this step is part of Azerbaijan's effort to take advantage of the favorable international situation.

Russian peacekeepers, deployed under the 2020 ceasefire agreement, are supposed to ensure the safety of the road but are powerless to do so. The EU has supported resource-rich Azerbaijan as part of its strategy to disconnect the European continent from Russian gas.

International pressure against the blockade has intensified, but Aliyev remains steadfast. “No one can influence us. There are some phone calls and statements, but we will not pay attention to them,” he said last month.

The actions of the “eco-activists” remain known among Azerbaijanis, as they are viewed as an obstruction to the Russian peacekeeping mission.