Understanding the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict with Thomas de Waal and Ambassador Phil Reeker

On September 19, Azerbaijani forces began attacking Nagorno Karabakh, the long-disputed Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan. Within 24 hours, Azerbaijan had established full control over the territory, triggering a mass exodus of Karabakh Armenians from their homeland amid fears of ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Azerbaijani military. This latest violence in the long-running conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh raises numerous questions. How will Russia’s role and influence in the region shift amidst warming tides between Armenia and the West, and what does Baku’s relationship with Turkey mean for the conflict’s trajectory? To discuss recent developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Thomas de Waal and Ambassador Philip Reeker join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this Week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Ambassador Philip Reeker is a partner and the lead of the Europe and Eurasia Practice at the Albright Stonebridge Group. He has more than 30 years of diplomatic experience, including previous roles as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, and as the Secretary of State’s Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations.

Thomas de Waal is a senior fellow with Carnegie Europe specializing in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. He is the author of numerous publications about the region, including his authoritative book on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War