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Armenian Prime Minister Announces Surrender In Nagorno-Karabakh, Protests Erupt

(Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

Dylan Housman Deputy News Editor
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced his country’s surrender in its ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh early Tuesday morning. 

The conflict over the disputed mountainous territory that was legally part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians has reportedly claimed thousands of lives in less than two months. Pashinyan said he had reached an agreement with the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan to “terminate” the war in Nagorno-Karabakh in a statement on his Facebook page. (RELATED: Russian Soldier Killed Officer With Axe, Shot Two More In Murder Spree, Investigators Say)

Previous attempts to reach a ceasefire via measures short of a full-blown surrender had failed. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russian peacekeepers will be deployed to the frontlines to prevent further bloodshed as part of the agreement, Reuters reports. A Russian helicopter was shot down accidentally by Azerbaijan near the contested region on Monday, killing two Russian servicemen. (RELATED: Putin, Other Leaders To Wait Until ‘Legal Procedures’ Are Completed Before Congratulating Biden)

Protests are already emerging in Armenia due to Pashinyan’s capitulation to Azeri terms. Some demonstrators in the capital Yerevan were heard calling for the resignation of the Armenian Prime Minister and for him to be replaced by military commanders. Pashinyan acknowledged in his announcement the decision was “unbelievably painful,” and was “not a victory,” but said it was made as a result of a “deep analysis of the military situation.” Azeri forces had made significant gains in recent days and were approaching the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh.