Putin: We Didn't Leave Karabakh, It Was Armenia That Recognized Karabakh as Part of Azerbaijan

Russian President Vladimir Putin made serious remarks regarding the status of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) during an interview with Mir television. 

In response to a question about the future of the CIS considering the positions of Armenia and Moldova, Putin highlighted the intricacies surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. He emphasized that it wasn't Russia that departed from the region but rather Armenia, acknowledging Artsakh's status within Azerbaijan.

"It was not us [Russia] that left Karabakh; it was Armenia that recognized that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan," President Putin said. He noted that Armenia's decision to recognize Karabakh's status as part of Azerbaijan was an independent move taken without extensive prior communication with Russia.

Putin acknowledged the multifaceted nature of this decision, stating, "They actually did it on their own initiative, and they did not particularly inform us that they were preparing for such a decision. This is just a statement of fact, as there are both positive and negative aspects to it."

In May of this year Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was quoted saying that Armenia is ready to recognise the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave as part of Azerbaijan if Baku guarantees the security of its ethnic Armenian population. However, indigenous Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh do not believe there is a safe future for them in their homeland if Nagorno-Karabakh is a part of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is known for ethnic cleansing, mass murders, and extreme Armenophobia towards all ethnic Armenians.