Russian President Vladimir Putin appealed for calm after clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia — the deadliest between the former Soviet republics since a war in 2020 — broke out on Tuesday.
What Happened: At least 49 Armenian soldiers and 50 Azeri military personnel were killed in the fighting between the neighboring countries. The former Soviet republics have blamed each other for the renewed clashes, which began overnight at several points along their border.
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Russia, which in 2020 brokered a deal between the two countries, has its peacekeeping troops in the Azeri-Armenian conflict area as guarantor of an agreement that ended a six-week war two years ago.
On Tuesday, Russia again brokered a ceasefire for the latest outbreak. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, "It is difficult to overestimate the role of the Russian Federation, the role of Putin personally," Reuters reported.
"The president is naturally making every effort to help de-escalate tensions at the border," he added.
The Kremlin-brokered ceasefire collapsed an hour after the deal on Tuesday morning. However, the intensity of fighting was less, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an address to parliament.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has undermined its status as a peace deal broker, according to Laurence Broers, associate fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Programme of Chatham House think tank. "Since February, we also have been seeing the collapse of Russia's reputation as a security patron and a provider of security in the region," Broers told the publication.
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