The Withdrawal of Russian Peacekeepers

The Russian peacekeeping deployment had been established under the November 2020 ceasefire statement.

Its expected presence was initially structured around a five-year term, subject to the agreement's renewal provisions.

However, Azerbaijan's September 2023 military victory and the departure of the Armenian population transformed the circumstances of the mission.

In April 2024, Russia and Azerbaijan began the early withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers.

The withdrawal was completed during 2024.

For Armenia, the departure reinforced the perception that the security arrangements created after the 2020 war had failed.

For Azerbaijan, the withdrawal marked the end of a foreign military presence associated with the unresolved territorial conflict.

For Russia, it reflected a significant reduction of its direct military role in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The outcome also changed the broader South Caucasus balance of power.

Russia remained influential in Armenia and the region, but its credibility as a security guarantor had been damaged.

Armenia increasingly sought to diversify its diplomatic and security relationships.

The European Union, United States, France, and other partners assumed greater importance in Armenia's foreign-policy discussions.

The Russian withdrawal did not resolve the humanitarian and legal consequences of the exodus.

It removed the peacekeeping structure that had once been presented as a central guarantee of stability.