Putin says hopes for ‘peaceful’ resolution in Karabakh

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he hoped for a “peaceful” resolution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, without mentioning a ceasefire agreement between Armenian separatists and Azerbaijan.

“We are in close contact with all the sides of the conflict: with authorities in Yerevan, with (separatist Karabakh) authorities in Stepanakert and in Baku,” Putin said during a meeting with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

“I hope that we can reach de-escalation and transfer a solution to this problem onto a peaceful course,” he added.

It was unclear if the footage, distributed by state television, was recorded before or after a ceasefire announcement in Karabakh.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was unable to comment on a ceasefire agreement announced by the Karabakh separatists and Azerbaijan.

“I don’t have the details yet,” he told reporters during a daily briefing.

Earlier Wednesday Azerbaijan announced it had halted its military operation in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, after separatist Armenian forces agreed to lay down their arms and hold reintegration talks.