VIDEO: "Our Peacekeepers Never Obtained Legal Status" - Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the plenary session of the 20th meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club. In his keynote address, Putin spoke on various topics including international politics, regional issues, security structures, nationalism, statehood, and the global situation.

Referring to Charles Michel's statement that Russia betrayed Armenia, he responded: "What really happened? After the collapse of the USSR, there was a conflict that led to ethnic clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, from Sumgait to Nagorno-Karabakh, and as a result, Armenia established control over 20% of Azerbaijan's territory in Nagorno-Karabakh. We suggested to our Armenian partners a compromise: return 5 districts, keep 2, and maintain links with Armenia. But our friends from Karabakh always said no, this would create risks for us. We convinced them, we proposed compromises, ensuring the security of the Lachin corridor, and the safety of the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, and we would conduct the decision through the UN Security Council. They said no, we will fight. The war in 2020 started, and at some point, we managed to agree that the Azerbaijani army would stop, I called Yerevan and heard: ‘No, let them go to their designated positions.’

And what will you do? The same expression: ‘We will fight.’ But they will go to your rear in the Aghdam region—no, we will fight, was the response I received. Eventually, we stopped the war regarding the cessation of hostilities and deployment of peacekeepers. Our peacekeepers never obtained legal status; Azerbaijan believed that there was no need for it. The peacekeepers had no rights other than that of observing the ceasefire regime. Now, already in Prague, in the autumn of 2022, a statement was signed, whereby Armenia recognized Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the leaders of Armenia directly recognized Azerbaijan's territory in square kilometers and indicated that they recognize Azerbaijan's sovereignty over the territory of the Azerbaijan SSR, including Karabakh. This means that the most critical issue of the status of Karabakh has been essentially resolved. Even Armenia did not recognize the status of Karabakh, but later in Prague and Brussels, it recognized it as part of Azerbaijan. I personally learned about this from the press."