The United States has not seen anything to indicate that Russia’s military was contributing to a more peaceful and stable South Caucasus region, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Vedant Patel told a briefing on Wednesday, April 17.

Patel made the remarks when asked about the implications of Russia’s withdrawal of peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh.

“As you know, we were not party to the negotiated trilateral arrangement that ended the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 and established Russian troops in that region,” the diplomat said.

“Frankly, we’ve not seen anything to indicate that Russia’s military was contributing to a more peaceful and stable South Caucasus region, and the events in Nagorno-Karabakh over the course of this past fall are pretty indicative of that point, and it’s another highlight or example of how Russia is not a trustworthy ally or partner.

“But beyond that, we strongly support efforts by Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach a durable and dignified peace, and we stand ready to continue to help facilitate this process.”

The Kremlin has confirmed reports about the start of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh.