The Kremlin commented on Pashinyan’s words about Russia’s withdrawal from the region

The Kremlin cannot agree with the theses of the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, that Russia should leave the South Caucasus, said the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov.

“Russia is an absolutely integral part of this region, so it cannot go anywhere. Russia cannot leave Armenia,” Peskov explained.

According to the presidential press secretary, Russia continues to play a consistent and very important role in stabilizing the situation in the region. The key to success in this process is adherence to the tripartite agreements of two years ago. Russia is not going to curtail its activities and continues to play the role of a security guarantor. Peskov also recalled that more Armenians live in Russia than in Armenia itself, most of them are patriots of Russia, making a worthy contribution to the development of the country.

September 3 Pashinyan in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica declaredthat Russia is moving away from the South Caucasus, and Russian peacekeepers do not control the Lachin corridor.

On April 23, the State Border Service of Azerbaijan installed a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, on the only road connecting the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) with Armenia. Yerevan called this unacceptable, called on Russia to lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor and ensure the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the entire security zone of the corridor.

The situation around Nagorno-Karabakh escalated in September 2020, along with the outbreak of hostilities between the military of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a tripartite statement. After that, hostilities ceased in the conflict zone, and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the line of contact and in the Lachin corridor.