US Department of State refutes Blinken's alleged warning of Azerbaijan's invasion of Armenia

The US State Department has denied the report disseminated by Politico on Azerbaijan’s possible invasion of Armenia.

An article published in Politico states that allegedly at a meeting with American congressmen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Azerbaijan could attack Armenia in the coming weeks.

US department spokesman Matthew Miller said the information in the article does not reflect what Secretary of State Blinken told lawmakers, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Armenian media.

In written comments to the Armenian media, Miller said the reporting in the article is “inaccurate and in no way reflects what Secretary Blinken said to lawmakers.”

“The United States strongly supports Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.  We have stressed that any infringement of that sovereignty and territorial integrity would bring serious consequences. The reporting in this article is inaccurate and in no way reflects what Secretary Blinken said to lawmakers,” Miller said.

According to the article by Politico, Secretary of State Antony Blinken “warned a small group of lawmakers last week that his department is tracking the possibility that Azerbaijan could soon invade Armenia, according to two people familiar with the conversation”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

The call reflects the administration's deep worry about Azerbaijan's anti-terrorist measures against the separatist regime in its internationally recognized Karabakh region on September 19-20, as well as the prospect of the war expanding.

On September 19, Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched an anti-terrorist measure in Karabakh in response to the mine terror by the Armenian sabotage group that killed four employees of the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry.

As a result of a one-day campaign, the Karabakh junta regime agreed to surrender and negotiate the reintegration process with Baku on September 21 in Azerbaijan’s Yevlakh city.

Following the surrender, the remnants of the junta in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan announced their self-dissolution.

The relevant statement was made in the “decree” of the “president” of the puppet regime Samvel Shahramanyan, published on September 28.

The text of the “decree,” in particular, states: “All institutions and organizations are to be dissolved by January 1, 2024, and the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) ceases to exist.

The population of Nagorno-Karabakh should familiarize themselves with the conditions of reintegration presented by the Republic of Azerbaijan in order to subsequently make an independent and individual decision on the possibility of staying (returning) in Karabakh.”

Azerbaijan detained the former separatist leaders who were involved in criminal activities against the Azerbaijani state and people in violation of the country’s constitution, as well as the norms of international law.

The former "presidents" of the Garabagh separatists, Arkady Gukasyan (1997-2007) Bako Sahakyan (2007-2020) and Arayik Harutyunyan (2020-2023), the Garabagh representative of the Dashnakasutyun party and the "parliament speaker" of the separatist regime, David Ishkhanyan were detained by the Azerbaijani State Security Service and brought to Baku in connection with the criminal proceedings against them for the criminal acts they committed.