Armenia Continues to Defend Only Its Sovereign Territory, Russia's Obligation to Protect Artsakh Is Not Being Fulfilled

Russia has clear obligations to protect Artsakh, as stated in the trilateral statement of November 9, and it is failing to fulfill them. This was stated by the Secretary of Armenia's Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, during an interview with Public Radio.

In response to accusations that the authorities have damaged Armenian-Russian relations, Grigoryan noted that Russia has long been collaborating with Azerbaijan, having started selling $5 billion worth of weapons to Azerbaijan since 2011, over a period of 12 years.

“Russia has clear obligations to protect Artsakh according to the trilateral statement of November 9. There is the November 9 statement and the signature of the President of Russia. Is there something more crucial than that signature? There is the November 9 statement, and the peacekeepers of the Russian Federation have the obligation to protect Artsakh; they are not fulfilling that obligation,” he stated.

Grigoryan emphasized that Azerbaijan has launched a large-scale attack on Artsakh, yet Russian peacekeepers are not taking any action, merely issuing statements claiming they just learned of the situation moments ago. “In fact, we have been informing the international community since September 4. You know that Prime Minister Pashinyan sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the entire situation was described. And they have obligations, and they must fulfill them,” stated the Secretary of the Security Council.

The Republic of Armenia continues to defend only its sovereign territory, while the international community should take steps regarding the situation in Artsakh. This was also mentioned by Armen Grigoryan in the interview.

“First and foremost, Russia must take action since they have a presence ‘on the ground,’ the peacekeepers are there, and their assistance is not only medical; they must ensure the safety of the Armenians living in Artsakh as per the November 9 statement,” he said.

In response to the claim that the opposition blames the Armenian authorities for Russia not taking action due to Armenia preparing to ratify the Rome Statute, conducting NATO exercises, and visiting Kyiv, Armen Grigoryan replied, “All the points you mentioned did not exist until December 2021, yet we still faced an attack on Sotk.”

It’s worth noting that Azerbaijan began a large-scale attack against Artsakh on September 19. According to a statement from the Artsakh Defense Ministry, at around 1:00 PM, Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire along the entire length of the contact line, launching missile and artillery strikes.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced that it is conducting localized anti-terrorism measures. As a result of the large-scale terrorist attack carried out by Azerbaijan, there are 27 casualties and 200 injured.

The attack by Azerbaijan targets not only Artsakh but also the Republic of Armenia. This was also stated by Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia.

“Armenia is also targeted because the events occurring in Artsakh have an impact on the Republic of Armenia. You saw this also on November 9, 2020, when the government building was attacked, and today, certain forces, with external support, are attempting to target the Armenian authorities,” he said.