Monday

25th Sep 2023

South Caucasus death toll much worse than feared

  • Russian president Vladimir Putin (Photo: kremlin.ru)

The recent fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been much deadlier than previously feared, with Russia estimating that it claimed 5,000 lives.

"There are a lot of casualties from both sides ... According to our data, the number of deaths on both sides is almost 2,000, that is, the total number of deaths is already nearing 5,000," Vladimir Putin said on Thursday (23 October) in a TV discussion of the Valdai think-tank.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Previous estimates had said about 1,000 people had been killed over the past five weeks, but there are no international monitors on the ground to verify claims.

The fighting over the Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan is the worst since full-scale warfare killed 30,000 people in the 1990s.

Turkey has been accused of enflaming the situation by supplying drones and Syrian mercenaries to its ally Azerbaijan, while Russia is meant to defend Armenia under a post-Soviet military pact.

Putin said he was on the phone with all regional leaders on a daily basis.

And he declined to criticise Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying "[Erdoğan] might seem tough, but [he] is a flexible politician, and a reliable partner for Russia".

France is leading EU diplomacy on the conflict via its co-presidency in the so-called Minsk Group, a club of international mediators.

But Putin indicated that Germany was the only EU power capable of projecting its interests overseas these days.

"In terms of its economic weight and political influence, China is moving quickly towards superpower status and Germany is moving in the same direction. Germany has become an important player in international cooperation," he said.

"At the same time, the roles of Great Britain and France in international affairs have undergone significant changes," Putin added.

"[And] the United States, which, at one point, absolutely dominated the international stage, can hardly claim exceptionality any longer," the Russian leader also said.

For their part, Nato defence ministers voiced "deep concern" over the mounting civilian casualties in the South Caucasus following video-talks the same day.

Turkey "should use its considerable influence in the region to reduce tension," Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg told press afterward.

Turkey is a Nato member and Armenian president Armen Sarkissian had earlier urged Stoltenberg to exert pressure on Ankara.

But the Nato chief said the alliance bore no responsibility for Erdoğan's actions in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Nato's not part of the conflict and I stated that very clearly to the Armenian president when I met him yesterday," Stoltenberg said.

He underlined Nato's neutrality by offering to meet with Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev in Brussels as well.

"Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are valued partners of Nato," Stoltenberg said.

Eastern Mediterranean

Turkey has also locked horns with fellow Nato member and EU country Greece over petro-drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

And Stoltenberg urged Athens and Ankara to use a new "24/7" Nato hotline, set up three weeks ago, to avoid accidental clashes, so that the "heavy responsibility" of "avoiding loss of life at sea and in the air" was not placed "solely on the shoulders of the captains of our ships or the pilots of our jets".

The hotline was "for us, a technical military issue", Stoltenberg noted.

But he voiced hope it might help Greece and Turkey start a political dialogue.

And the fact Greek and Turkish defence officials were meeting "on a daily basis here at the Nato headquarters" also created a "platform" for talks, he said.

Opinion

South Caucasus needs West to stop greater conflicts

The Nagorno-Karabakh war shows the West needs to rebuild relations with Turkey and put forces in Georgia to prevent still greater conflicts, the former head of US forces in Europe says.

EU’s €500m gender violence plan falls short, say auditors

The 'Spotlight Initiative' was launched in 2017 with a budget of €500 million to end all forms of violence or harmful practices against women and girls in partner countries, but so far it has had "little impact", say EU auditors.

Latest News

  1. Europe's energy strategy: A tale of competing priorities
  2. Why Greek state workers are protesting new labour law
  3. Gloves off, as Polish ruling party fights for power
  4. Here's the headline of every op-ed imploring something to stop
  5. Report: Tax richest 0.5%, raise €213bn for EU coffers
  6. EU aid for Africa risks violating spending rules, Oxfam says
  7. Activists push €40bn fossil subsidies into Dutch-election spotlight
  8. Europe must Trump-proof its Ukraine arms supplies

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us