Russia Begins Withdrawing Peacekeepers From Flashpoint Region of Azerbaijan

Russian peacekeepers have begun pulling out from Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region after a four-year deployment, according to both Azerbaijani and Russian officials. “The early withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers … has been decided by the leaders of both countries,” Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, said on April 17. “The process has already begun,” he was quoted as saying by Azerbaijan’s state news agency. Mr. Hajiyev added that the Russian and Azerbaijani defense ministries had taken “appropriate measures for the decision’s implementation.” Viktor Bondarev, deputy head of the Russian Parliament’s security committee, likewise confirmed the withdrawal was underway....