Will the US Protect Armenia from Potential Russian Aggression? A Question for the State Department Spokesperson

Washington respects the right of every country, including Armenia, to join the International Criminal Court, which is committed to promoting justice and accountability for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. This was stated by Vedant Patel, the deputy spokesperson of the US State Department, during a press briefing.

When asked whether the United States would defend Armenia from potential Russian aggression given Russia's threats over Armenia's actions, Patel only emphasized that the United States continues high-level communications with the leadership of Azerbaijan and Armenia to achieve a dignified and lasting peace.

"It is not a coincidence that the United States has reiterated calls for establishing a longer-term, independent, international monitoring mission in Nagorno-Karabakh in recent weeks and thereafter, to ensure that the rights and security of ethnic Armenians are protected," Patel said.

In response to concerns, especially after Armenians left Karabakh, that Russian peacekeepers are not there to maintain peace but to secure a part of Karabakh, Patel replied, "I simply do not want to speculate. I will reiterate what Matthew Miller said: this kind of presence [Russian peacekeepers] remains concerning. However, we are doing everything we can to achieve a dignified and lasting peace."

It is important to note that the Armenian Parliament ratified the Rome Statute yesterday. By joining the Rome Statute, Armenian authorities aim to hold Azerbaijan accountable for war crimes, while the Kremlin has stated that ratifying the Rome Statute is not a wise step from the perspective of bilateral relations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the Kremlin absolutely disagrees with Prime Minister Pashinyan, who justified this move by the country's security needs.