As Slovakia votes for a pro-Russia politician, Poland drops military aid, and the US wavers; Ukraine is likely worried but not yet panicking, analysts say.

• October 4, 2023

Al Jazeera gains exclusive access to the largest city in Nagorno-Karabakh after tens of thousands of its resident fled.

• October 4, 2023

By Benyamin POGHOSYAN, PhD, Chairman, Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies

Azerbaijan's destruction by force of the self-declared Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) is seen by some as removing one of the key obstacles in the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, that will resume in the next days in Granada, Spain. Others however see the elimination of the Karabakh factor as opening the way for Azerbaijan to make even more demands on Armenia. It is challenging to assess whether peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is within reach. However, one thing is clear: the second humiliation of Armenia within three years has already triggered significant backlash among Armenians. Many are still in shock, which is why Yerevan witnessed only small protests recently. However, many Armenians are fed up with permanent losses, and there is a growing feeling that Armenia, in the long–term perspective, should become stronger to reclaim its position in the region. In the current environment, any attack of Azerbaijan against Armenia, regardless of pretexts or reasons, will only strengthen this feeling among Armenians and will be a direct path to long-term instability and conflicts in the South Caucasus. READ MORE

• October 4, 2023

By Fuad SHAHBAZOV, Baku-based independent regional security and defence analyst

On September 19, Azerbaijan launched an “anti-terrorist operation” in the Karabakh region against armed separatist forces. The operation followed three years of largely unproductive peace talks between Armenian and Azerbaijan following the Second Karabakh War in 2020. The clashes ended in a ceasefire after only one day due to the separatist regime’s limited military-technical capacity in resisting the well-equipped Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
Baku’s allies were quick to applaud the move. For example, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a joint news conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, declared, “It is a matter of pride that the operation was successfully completed in a short period of time, with utmost sensitivity to the rights of civilians”. Turkey has traditionally been a staunch ally of Azerbaijan, and the recent military operation to reclaim Karabakh plays into Ankara’s regional interests, especially regarding the future development and opening of the Zangezur Corridor. READ MORE

• October 4, 2023

UK defence ministry says the new SSN-AUKUS vessels ‘will be the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated’ by its navy.

• October 2, 2023

Top diplomats of the bloc gather in Kyiv in the first-ever meeting outside the EU borders in show of solidarity.

• October 2, 2023

Row centres on remarks by Russia’s foreign intelligence service director about US ‘interference’ in the country.

• October 2, 2023

Belarus has repeatedly accused the EU member of breaching its airspace. Warsaw denies the claims.

• September 29, 2023