High-ranking officials from the United States and the European Union had secret emergency talks in Istanbul with their Russian counterparts to address the escalating crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The meeting, shrouded in secrecy, aimed to defuse tensions just days before Azerbaijan launched a military offensive to seize the breakaway territory from ethnic Armenian control.
The off-diary discussion, held on September 17, marked an unusual but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to establish communication between Moscow and the Western powers regarding a significant security concern.
The move came in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which disrupted regular diplomatic channels.
Sources revealed that the primary focus of the Istanbul meeting was to apply pressure on Azerbaijan, urging the nation to put an end to its nine-month blockade of the enclave.
The aim was to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid convoys from Armenia into the region. One senior diplomat, familiar with the discussions, disclosed to POLITICO that the meeting delved into strategies on “how to get the bloody trucks moving.”
The urgent goal was to ensure that vital supplies, including food and fuel, could reach the estimated 100,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Representing the United States was Louis Bono, Washington’s senior adviser for Caucasus negotiations. The European Union was represented by Toivo Klaar, its designated representative for the region. From the Russian side, Igor Khovaev, serving as Putin’s special envoy on relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, was dispatched to engage in the talks.
More to follow…
