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The United States and France are working to put an end to the ongoing Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 29 people.
The crisis has prompted France to call for an urgent meeting of the Security Council, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to the leaders of both Armenia and Azerbaijan in an effort to de-escalate the situation.
Blinken has urged Azerbaijan to immediately cease military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The violence erupted just as world leaders gathered in New York for the annual General Assembly, and France is seeking unanimous condemnation of Azerbaijan.
Russia has largely joined Western powers in supporting calls for calm, despite expressing concern over more excellent European and US efforts between the former Soviet republics.
Protesters have rallied in Yerevan outside the Russian embassy, expressing anger that Russia did not prevent the offensive by Azerbaijan.
The United States has also been in touch with Turkey, which has cultural ties with Azerbaijan. However, a senior US official expressed frustration that the violence came just one day after the world welcomed the delivery of aid through the Lachin corridor, which had been blocked for months.
Both France and the United States have large and active Armenian diasporas, with France being especially supportive of Armenia. Senator Bob Menendez, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, accused Azerbaijan of pursuing a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against Christian Armenia and said he would introduce legislation to punish President Ilham Aliyev.