Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US Department of State, commenting on the premature withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping troops from Nagorno-Karabakh, noted that this is “another highlight or example of how Russia is not a trustworthy ally or partner.”

At Wednesday’s State Department press briefing, Patel recalled that the US was “not party to the negotiated trilateral arrangement that ended the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 and established Russian troops in that region.”

The principal deputy spokesperson of the US State Department noted that the US has “not seen anything to indicate that Russia’s military was contributing to a more peaceful and stable South Caucasus region.” He added that “the events in Nagorno-Karabakh over the course of this past fall are pretty indicative of that point.”

Patel stressed that the United States strongly supports the “efforts by Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach a durable and dignified peace,” and stands “ready to continue to help facilitate this process.”