The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, said that de jure it is a matter of Azerbaijan's actions on its territory.
Peskov was responding to a media question on the statement by Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan, who accused Russia of failing to fulfill its obligations to protect Nagorno-Karabakh.
"We do not accept such reproaches, especially after the official decision of the Armenian side to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. De jure, now we are talking about the actions of the Republic of Azerbaijan on its territory. Therefore, such accusations against us are absolutely groundless. Based on nothing," the spokesman said.
The Russian military in Nagorno-Karabakh are not engaged in scholasticism, but are doing real things, helping to evacuate civilians, the spokesperson said.
"We continue our contacts with Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Because our military — they are not engaged in such, you know, verbal scholasticism. They are doing concrete things, fulfilling their role as peacekeepers, helping to evacuate civilians — especially children — from dangerous zones, this work continues day and night," Peskov said.
Peskov added that the conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is being agreed upon, and no conversation is planned with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev as of yet.
According to the Kremlin, Russia's contacts with Armenia continue, it has been and remains Russia's "very important ally and partner," and contacts with Azerbaijan, which is also a "very important partner of Russia," are also continuing.
Baku, which a day earlier announced the launch of "local-level anti-terrorist activities" in Nagorno-Karabakh named the complete withdrawal of Armenian troops from the region and the dissolution of the unrecognized authorities in the Karabakh city of Stepanakert as a condition for peace. Yerevan described Azerbaijan's actions as aggression and said that there are no Armenian units in Karabakh.
The Russian Defense Ministry noted that Russian peacekeepers organized medical aid to the injured and evacuation of Nagorno-Karabakh civilians from the most dangerous areas. Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on the conflicting sides to immediately stop the bloodshed, cease hostilities and avoid civilian casualties.
Russia calls for an immediate return to the implementation of the November 2020 trilateral agreements, according to the foreign ministry statement.