Why US Neocons Consider Azerbaijan 'as Important' as Ukraine for Russia

© Flickr / David DavidsonBaku, Azerbaijan
Baku, Azerbaijan - Sputnik International
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On Saturday, Azerbaijan and Armenia reported armed clashes in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 33 people were killed and more than 200 injured as a result of the violent escalation.

The minaret of a mosque damaged during the war in the town of Shusha in the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic - Sputnik International
Unexpected: Iran and Russia 'Affected' by Nagorno-Karabakh Hostilities
After the outbreak, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on the parties to the conflict to refrain from further violence.

While Putin appealed to the parties to immediately cease hostilities, Steinmeier stressed that there can be no military solution to the conflict.

After the fighting, both sides reported numerous victims and accused each other of breaking the ceasefire. However, who really stands behind the escalation of the frozen conflict, remains unclear.

According to DWN, Azerbaijan has close relations with neighboring Turkey and plays a similarly important geopolitical role for Russia as Ukraine. The conflict thus might have been incited by third parties interested in the destabilization of the situation near Russia's borders.

The newspaper referred to US political expert Zbigniew Brzezinski who said the fate of Azerbaijan is closely connected with the fate of Russia. New violent clashes in the disputed regions could prove dangerous for Moscow especially given the fact that important oil and natural gas pipelines run through the region.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed region in the South Caucasus, which is formally part of Azerbaijan, but largely populated by Armenians. The territory acts as a self-administrating province, but is not recognized as a country by the international community.

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