Kremlin spokesman says truce in Nagorno-Karabakh doesn’t include Turkish peacekeepers

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov fielded several questions about the Moscow-brokered truce in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Peskov described the settlement as a victory for both the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples, brushing aside concerns that Baku and its allies in Turkey in fact defeated Yerevan.

Vladimir Putin’s press secretary argued that the truce benefits all sides because it ends the bloodshed and allows refugees to return to the Karabakh region under UN supervision. At the same time, Peskov acknowledged the “not insignificant efforts” required by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to reach an agreement. In Yerevan, Pashinyan has faced violent protests against his decision to sign the truce.

The settlement does not mention the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s official status — an omission that potentially weakens its claim on independence. Peskov pointed out that Russia’s position on the matter hasn’t changed and remains in line with international norms and UN Security Council resolutions, which have not recognized the self-declared republic. The Kremlin’s spokesman also indicated that the seriousness of a Russian peacekeeping force on the ground has long-term implications for the region’s status.

Asked about Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s announcement that Turkish peacekeepers will play a role in the region, Peskov emphasized that the trilateral settlement doesn’t mention a word about Turkish troops and said their presence in the Karabakh region was not agreed. Azerbaijan’s “ceasefire monitoring center” will be based outside the conflict zone, said Peskov. “This is in Azerbaijan, not Karabakh,” he added. The “nuances” of locating this joint monitoring center are already under discussion as part of a separate agreement, Peskov explained.