Moscow rules out possibility of UN peacekeepers’ deployment in Karabakh

The idea of sending UN peacekeepers to Karabakh is hardly realistic, as the Russian peacekeeping contingent efficiently fulfils the task to restore peace and security in the region, said Pyotr Ilyichev, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's International Organizations Department.

He made the remarks in an interview with the Russian media this week, Caliber.Az informs.

Among international and foreign organisations, it was only the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC) that has operated so far in Karabakh, Ilyichev said, adding that UN humanitarian agencies have never obtained permission from Azerbaijanis and Armenians to access the region, even for an initial needs assessment mission.

"In this context of a lack of progress even on international humanitarian assistance to Karabakh, the practical implementation of the idea of sending an international peacekeeping contingent, which, moreover, would require UN Security Council sanction, is hardly realistic. We assume that all tasks for the restoration of peace and security in Karabakh are being dealt with effectively by the Russian peacekeeping contingent," he continued.

The Russian diplomat said peacekeeping missions deployed under a UN Security Council mandate are not always trusted by the host states.

"In some cases, the host states advocate the withdrawal of the ‘Blue Helmets’ because of their low effectiveness. Therefore, the question is not so much who authorised the peacekeeping operation, but rather whether there is goodwill on both sides of the conflict to end it and eliminate its consequences," Ilyichev said.

In early January, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that after the mandate of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh expires in 2025, a request to the UN Security Council to send an international peacekeeping contingent to the region may follow.

Commenting on the Armenian premier's words, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitriy Peskov said that international peacekeepers could be involved in work in Karabakh if all parties to the conflict agree.