Russia Brokers Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire, Solidifying Dominance in the Caucasus Region

Between September and November 2020, fierce armed conflict erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The conflict was eventually halted in November when Russian President Vladimir Putin personally brokered a ceasefire agreement in Moscow.

The deal mandated that Armenia cede significant territory and allowed Russian peacekeeping forces to deploy to the conflict zone to monitor the ceasefire and secure vital transit corridors. This move effectively embedded Russia's military presence within the South Caucasus, cementing its dominant role as the region's primary mediator and security guarantor. For conservatives, this highlighted Russia's strategy of exploiting regional conflicts to expand its geopolitical sphere of influence, thereby eroding Turkish and Western traditional influence in the area.