The two states came to the brink of an all-out war as violence uncontrollably escalated between them, although to each of their credit, they seem to have restrained themselves from utilizing their full military potential. The chiefs of the Armenian and Azeri General Staffs wisely agreed to a ceasefire while in Moscow on April 5th, showing that there’s certainly the willpower to take a step back and evaluate what transpired and why.
Whether it holds or not, the Moscow-agreed ceasefire is a testimony to the pragmatic negotiating role that Russia has historically played between the two sides, but the ultimate question that’s still on everyone’s mind is — “Who started the violence and why?”
Andrei Fyodorov, Russia’s ex Deputy Foreign Minister and Director of the Centre for Political Studies think-tank (studio guest); Sergei Stankevich, Russia’s prominent political and public figure and expert from Anatoly Sobchak Foundation; and William J Parker III, Chief Operating Officer at the EastWest Institute (from New York) commented on the issue.
