EU mission warns of new offensive after Azerbaijani advance on Artsakh
The Armenian WeeklyMar 29, 2023
The Facts
The defense ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan issued statements on Tuesday reporting that troops from both sides had been killed in a clash near the Lachin Corridor, with both sides blaming the other for initiating hostilities.
Azerbaijan reported that three of its troops were killed, while Armenia reported four of its soldiers were killed and another six wounded. The clash occurred along the Lachin Corridor — a critical road into the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The Spin
Narrative A
Azerbaijan continues to escalate the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with provocative actions, as it wants to test the waters for a spring offensive against Armenia. Ethnic Armenians are facing continued oppression in Nagorno-Karabakh while the international community remains silent. Azerbaijan cannot continue making its aggressive threats.
Narrative B
Armenia's leadership thinks it can escalate tensions while also playing the victim in the Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. EU observers in the region have given Armenia the green light to provoke Azerbaijan by saying that Baku is planning a new offensive, for which there is simply no evidence. It seems, yet again, that it is Yerevan that wants more violence.