The Outbreak of Military Actions Seems More Than Real, Media

The threat of a new outbreak of military actions seems more than real, especially if there is no limited progress in political settlement throughout the year. This was stated by Andrey Kortunov, the Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council, in an article published in "Independent Newspaper".

It is noted that the signing of the trilateral agreement between Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia in November 2020, as well as the deployment of Russian peacekeepers, allowed for a freezing of the conflict but did not lead to a final resolution.

"Today the tension remains both in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Another escalation will have serious negative consequences for Russia and the CSTO and could lead to the intervention of third countries in the conflict," the article warns.

The author lists 15 issues that could be "most devastating for the international system" in 2023. The possibility of a new escalation in the South Caucasus is mentioned as the fifth issue in the publication. Other global risks include the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the U.S.-China clash over Taiwan, the collapse of Russia-U.S. negotiations, instability in Iran, skirmishes in the Persian Gulf, and cyclical economic recession, among others. It is emphasized that 2023 will be "a difficult, turbulent, and dangerous year for all participants in global politics."