TOPIC: Armenian Troops in Azerbaijan Border Clash

In eastern Armenia, reports have came in of a flare up in the conflict with Azerbaijan. Armenia has reported that two of its soldiers have been killed and two combat positions have been lost. Azerbaijan reports the injury of two of its own soldiers.

Geopolitical Backdrop and Implications

The latest escalation in violence comes in the wake of the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, though this escalation is not reported to be from within the disputed region. Just over a year on from when the two nations thought a full-scale conflict, this threatens to reinvigorate the wider divisions between the  neighbours, by breaking the Russian backed truce. In the previous years conflict, Armenia, a smaller, poorer Christian nation in an Islamic dominated neighbourhood was badly defeated by the far superior Azerbaijani forces. They largely lost control over the Azerbaijani claimed but largely Armenian populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Now, 2000 Russian peacekeepers patrol the region.

Though Russia professes nominally to being allied to Armenia, Moscow's support for Yerevan has been sorely lacking. During the conflict it was Azerbaijan who received vocal support from its ally, Turkey, whilst Russia remained largely quiet until the defeat of Armenia's military was already apparent. Now, Azerbaijan wants to push its success one step further, by ensuring a Azerbaijani owned road running from its heartland towards the exclave of Nakhichevan. This corridor, named the Zangazur corridor, is essential to the incumbent Azerbaijani leaders political agenda, having pledged earlier this year to 'force' concessions on Armenia regarding the corridor. With both countries increasing spending on their respective militaries, neither nation appears satisfied with the current status quo. In the not too distant future, President Vladimir Putin may have to greater support the Armenian cause, or risk a diminishment of its prospective geopolitical position beyond the South Caucuses. 

(Image source: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/carc/2018/04/15/the-nagorno-karabakh-conflict/)