1923 marked the end of the Armenian genocide, resulting in over 1 million deaths of Armenians. Turkey was at fault for this atrocity and has never openly admitted to committing the act. One hundred years later, the same issues are happening on a smaller and quieter scale. Azerbaijan has been in a continuous conflict with Armenia since the end of the Cold War regarding who should have the rights to the Nagorno Karabakh region. Since then, there have been two wars, the first from 1988-1992 and September 2020 to November 2020. Armenia gained resources from the Red Cross troops and Russian troops who helped monitor the ceasefire agreement from 2020-2023 until the president of Azerbaijan decided he wanted to cut off Armenia entirely in 2023. Azerbaijan doesn’t want to stop the violence anytime until Armenia stops refusing to be independent. In September 2022, Azerbaijan invaded Armenia again, causing a bloody clash until December 2023, when Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin Corridor.
This corridor is one of the only access roads that Armenia can receive supplies, food, and necessary resources. Azerbaijan still isn’t satisfied with the over 10,000 deaths they’ve caused and keeps killing more people while Armenia refuses to surrender. No matter how many negotiations, ceasefire agreements, and peace treaties, Azerbaijan stays persistent, seemingly willing to go to any extent to gain the rights over the Nagorno Karabakh region. The region they are fighting over is recognized as belonging to Azerbaijan but most of the people that live in this enclave are Armenians. On one side Azerbaijan claims they are trying to stop illegal mining in the region which is being conducted by Armenia. Azerbaijan states they are actually not the ones that decided to close the road and it was actually the Russian peace-keepers that overlooked the two regions.
In 2020 a peace truce had been made between the two countries but was broken very tragically with hundreds of soldiers being murdered on both sides. Russia’s part in this was very good for both countries until the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan support the actions of Russia and have remained neutral in multiple different votes on whether or not Russia’s actions are justified. Both sides have supported Ukraine and want no part in supporting the invasion. This shows tremendous respect on each end but is not good for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan as Russia is one of the most powerful countries that could help with supplying necessary aid to the countries and keeping the peace but with Russia out of the picture, there is no median to determine what is right for the countries. Armenia and Azerbaijan both recognize their different integrities over the Nagorno-Karabakh region even though Azerbaijan has international law over the region. Armenia just wants the rights of their people to be protected there and disagrees completely with the way Azerbaijan speaks on the issue.
Just recently on September 1st, 2023, three soldiers were killed 8 kilometers away from the border according to the Armenian Defense Ministry. The city of Baku’s officials is denying that they blockaded the region and have suggested opening a different route for supplies through an Azerbaijan town but was rejected by Armenia. On August 31st the United States called on the situation and demanded instantaneous reopening of the Lachin corridor with significant worry over the situation.
