State Department calls withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh "example of how Russia is not a trustworthy ally or partner "

YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel told a Wednsday press briefing that the U.S. was not a party to the negotiated trilateral arrangement that ended the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 and established Russian troops in that region.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on April 17 the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh .

" Frankly, we’ve not seen anything to indicate that Russia’s military was contributing to a more peaceful and stable South Caucasus region, and the events in Nagorno-Karabakh over the course of this past fall are pretty indicative of that point, and it’s another highlight or example of how Russia is not a trustworthy ally or partner.," Patel said.

"But beyond that, we strongly support the efforts of Armenia and Azerbaijan to achieve a lasting and dignified peace, and we are ready to continue to contribute to this process," he emphasized.

The Russian peacekeeping contingent of 1,980 troops was to be stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh until 2025.

In 2023 September the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh fled to Armenia following a massive Azerbaijani offensive. Nagorno-Karabakh authorities subsequently signed an agreement with Azerbaijan to dissolve the self-proclaimed republic.-0-