U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken characterized Azerbaijan’s recent use of force in Nagorno-Karabakh as a setback to the ongoing efforts to secure a peaceful settlement. The remarks came through a report from TASS and reflect Washington’s stance on the conflict that has long involved competing ambitions from Baku and Yerevan.
Blinken stressed that actions by Azerbaijan aligned with a broader U.S. position, which he described as unacceptable because they undermine diplomatic work and the shared objective of a peaceful resolution in the region. He noted that the parties, including Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, have both contributed to the long-running push for stability in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a sentiment echoed by European partners. In his view, EU support remains aligned with those peace efforts, and he asserted that the week’s events run directly counter to that collaborative path.
Earlier, Elchin Amirbekov, the Azerbaijani president’s representative for special tasks, indicated that a draft peace agreement had been forwarded to Armenia for consideration. The unfolding diplomatic dialogue was set against a backdrop of military operations that the Azerbaijani authorities described as an anti-terrorist campaign within Nagorno-Karabakh, where President Aliyev later announced that all stated objectives of the operation had been achieved and sovereignty over the region reaffirmed.
Prior to these developments, Baku had invited representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to participate in negotiations hosted in Yevlakh. The diplomatic exchanges underscore the fragile balancing act between asserting territorial claims and pursuing a negotiated settlement that could produce a durable peace in the South Caucasus. Analysts note that the path to a lasting resolution remains sensitive to regional dynamics, international mediation efforts, and the genuine political will of both Azerbaijan and Armenia to constrain violence while addressing core concerns about governance, security, and self-determination. The conversations continue to be monitored closely by Western officials and regional partners who emphasize the importance of restraint and a return to formal talks aimed at a comprehensive peace framework.