On Thursday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the upcoming joint U.S.-Armenian military exercises do not contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the region.
RELATED:
Armenia And Azerbaijan Move To Normalize Bilateral Relations
Peskov said that these exercises are also not conducive to fostering an atmosphere of mutual trust in the region.
Moscow continues to work with both Armenia and Azerbaijan amid an escalation of tensions, he added.
During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, “the military-political situation in the region had worsened significantly.”
Armenian ���� major shift in Foreign Policy to engage 1st time with US ���� in joint military drills will change the dynamics & geopolitical landscape of South Caucasus—Nikol Pashiyan decision to make this move after neglection from Moscow. #Armenia #Azerbaijan #Geopolitik… pic.twitter.com/Oei95XH9aS
— Malik Ayub SUMBAL 马利克 (@ayubsumbal)
September 8, 2023
On Wednesday, the Armenian Ministry of Defense announced the decision to host joint exercises with the United States that will run through Sept. 20.
Azerbaijan and Armenia had been locked in a decades-long territorial conflict, with major armed clashes breaking out in September 2020 and ending with a Russia-brokered truce in November of the same year.
Sporadic conflicts have been erupting between Baku and Yerevan ever since, with international efforts still ongoing to mediate a fundamental truce between the two South Caucasus states.