Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed his offer to mediate peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan during a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday.
Putin initially proposed the idea earlier in the week during a visit to Baku, where he met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. He conveyed his intention to discuss the outcomes of his talks with Pashinyan.
The Kremlin reported that the conversation focused on normalizing Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, with Putin reaffirming Russia’s readiness to assist in negotiating a peace treaty, border delimitation, and unblocking transport routes.
The Armenian government briefly noted that Pashinyan thanked Putin for sharing his perspectives and that the two leaders agreed to meet soon to discuss bilateral issues.
This comes as Armenia has been reluctant to engage in Russian-led mediation efforts, particularly amid growing tensions with Moscow and a shift toward closer ties with Western nations. Recent comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, accusing Armenia of obstructing a Russian-brokered agreement, further complicated the situation, leading to a rebuttal from the Armenian Foreign Ministry.