Vasily Koltashov: Azerbaijan will invite Russian peacekeepers to leave

Speaking with Alpha News, political scientist Vasily Koltashov commented on the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh.

According to the expert, Azerbaijan does not need Russian peacekeepers.

“I believe that Russian peacekeepers will have to leave Karabakh. Most likely, they will not stay in 2025 since the presence of Russian peacekeepers is the result of agreements only between Russia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan will invite Russian peacekeepers to leave. It does not need Russian peacekeepers.

Since Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has big plans for the entire Transcaucasian region, he may indeed invite Armenians who previously lived in Nagorno-Karabakh to return as citizens of Azerbaijan. Russian control here may be in the form of some kind of observation mission rather than in the form of peacekeepers. This will no longer be military, but diplomatic control—some guarantees that the return of people will not lead to any dire consequences for them,” Koltashov said.