Questions Arise: What Are Our Peacekeepers Doing There? - Konstantin Zatulin

Following the departure of the Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh, the reasons for the presence of Russian peacekeepers in the region have diminished. This was stated by Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, in an interview with Gazeta.

According to him, Azerbaijan has not yet raised the issue of withdrawing the troops in order to avoid it being perceived as a defeat or concession by Russia.

“Currently, the presence of peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh is interconnected with the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. Since there is no Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, the question arises: what are our peacekeepers doing there? I believe that the Azerbaijani leadership has not raised the issue of their withdrawal just to ensure that this does not come across in Russia as a defeat or concession, or as damage caused by the presence of our military outside the Russian Federation. But in reality, the reasons for the presence of our peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh have diminished,” he stated.

The deputy noted that he believes the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh can ensure that nothing happens to the houses of the Armenian population.

“I see the purpose of our peacekeepers' presence as a guarantee that nothing happens to, for example, the houses left behind by the Armenian population and historical-cultural monuments that have a global historical significance. There is some hope that some Armenians will return to Nagorno-Karabakh, but the conditions officially put forward by Azerbaijan for the return of Armenians are unlikely to promote their return. Therefore, the presence of Russian peacekeepers here is a very complicated circumstance. The emigration of the local population from Nagorno-Karabakh has undermined the reasons for their presence there,” he concluded.