In the Caucasus, Moscow Manages a Simmering Dispute

The Nagorno-Karabakh region has been a hotbed of contention between Azerbaijan and Armenia since they were Soviet states, and today, their differences over the breakaway territory are as intractable as ever. As the pre-eminent power in the Caucasus, Russia holds the key to unlocking the dispute, although its motives are driven as much by its desire to retain its dominant regional status as to resolve the issue. No progress has been made in Russian-mediated talks between the two adversaries since a flare-up of combat rocked the territory in April 2016, and as this year progresses, chances of a resumption of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan will remain high....