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Image posted, EPA
Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged accusations for violation of the humanitarian armistice
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that nearly 5,000 people have been victims of the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region.
This number is much higher than the number of deaths declared by the two parties to the conflict.
Putin said that he speaks with the two sides several times a day and that he will not participate in the ongoing conflict.
He indicated that Moscow does not agree with Turkey, which supports Azerbaijan, on what is happening. He asked the United States to help seek peace in the region.
Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged accusations for violating the humanitarian armistice in Nagorno Karabakh.
Fighting broke out a month ago in the disputed region between the two countries and is considered the fiercest round since a war that ended with a ceasefire agreement in 1994.
What did Putin say?
Armenia is a military ally of Russia and is home to a Russian army base. But Russia also has close relations with Azerbaijan.
Image posted, EPA
The fighting, which broke out a month ago, is the fiercest since 1994
During a televised interview, Vladimir Putin said that “there are many losses on both sides, more than 2000 (dead) on each side.” He added that the figure is close to 5,000.
The latest official figures announced were that less than a thousand people died.
The local authorities of Nagorno Karabakh had announced the slaughter of 874 soldiers in their ranks and 37 civilians, since 27 September.
While Azerbaijan announced the murder of 61 of its citizens, without revealing the number of its military dead.
Putin said he is in “constant” contact with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and will not side with either side.
Putin referred to the incompatibility with Turkey over the ongoing conflict, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “may appear stern, but he is a flexible politician and a reliable partner for Russia.”
He called on the United States to “work in perfect harmony” with Russia to end the conflict.
Talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan are expected to take place in Washington on Friday, during the meeting of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with his counterparts from both sides.
Latest events in Nagorno-Karabakh
Despite the weekend approval of a Russian-sponsored truce, the fighting continued and hundreds were killed.
On Thursday, Azerbaijan announced that it was fighting in various regions and accused Armenia of launching three ballistic missiles on its territory, which the Armenian side denied.
Armenia spoke of clashes in various places, while official sources announced that Martoni and the surrounding villages had been bombed.
The Prime Minister of Armenia said that “there is no diplomatic solution” at this stage.
