News analysis

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is a proxy Turkish-Russian confrontation

Likely just a skirmish in Ankara-Moscow contest over the fate of Syria and Libya

A Russian peacekeeper next to a tank in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, following the signing of a deal to end the military conflict between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces. The ceasefire deal sparked off mass anti-government demonst
A Russian peacekeeper next to a tank in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, following the signing of a deal to end the military conflict between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces. The ceasefire deal sparked off mass anti-government demonstrations in Armenia, and jubilation in Azerbaijan. PHOTO: REUTERS
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The guns have fallen silent in the six-week-long war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a conflict in which up to 5,000 people have died, and tens of thousands more have been displaced.

But the consequences of the conflict on the south-eastern edges of Europe are likely to be profound. For they presage a broader strategic realignment. And they also herald newer forms of warfare.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 14, 2020, with the headline Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is a proxy Turkish-Russian confrontation. Subscribe