US Policy, Azerbaijan, and the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Even as the world focuses on Ukraine, Washington has conspicuously ignored resolute action to resolve existing conflicts in the Caucasus, in particular the so-called frozen conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Here, Washington has refused to see that Russia is playing a malignant role in perpetuating the conflict and has refused to act on its own to help prevent either a new Russian domination of the Caucasus or a new war. Indeed, Washington sees Moscow as playing a constructive role. As a result, US relations with Azerbaijan and Baku’s willingness to take heed of American lectures on human rights have all suffered.