The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) stands resolute in its support for the Armenians of Artsakh and their right to self-determination in the wake of the agreement signed by the Russian Federation, Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Armenia – and in no uncertain terms condemns Azerbaijan and Turkey’s genocidal aggression against the Armenian people.

Azerbaijan’s premeditated and coordinated military assault on Artsakh with the direct support of Turkey has resulted in a major humanitarian crisis that has seen over 100,000 Armenians displaced from their indigenous homeland.

While the United States and the international community watched in silence, Azerbaijan – with the support of the Turkish Armed Forces – shelled Artsakh’s towns, churches, hospitals, and schools, launched drone strikes against civilians, deployed illegal cluster munitions and chemical weapons in violation of international law, perpetrated countless war crimes, and unleashed thousands of terrorist mercenaries across the region.

It is clear that the motive behind Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s aggression was to seek the continuation of the Armenian Genocide – attested to by the leaders of both countries, which see themselves as “one nation, two states” determined to realize their genocidal pan-Turkic ambitions in the region.

For over a century, the United States has enforced the denial of Turkey’s genocide of the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks – granting impunity to the Turkish regime, and turning a blind eye to its human rights violations, rampant expansionism, and ethnic cleansing.

The failure of the United States and the international community to condemn and punish Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s aggression is a betrayal of the principles of self-determination, democracy, and human rights that underpin the very foundation of peace and stability in the world today.

In light of this, the ANCA-WR expresses its profound disappointment in the United States over its abandonment of Armenia and Artsakh, the only democracies in the region, in the face of the existential threat posed by the autocratic regimes of Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The United States, as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, completely abdicated its responsibility to ensure a peaceful negotiated resolution for Artsakh through its disengagement from the region. And when the United States did briefly seek to engage, it did so only to pay lip service to peace by brokering a ceasefire it never intended to enforce.

At this stage, the only constructive action the United States can take is to impose severe sanctions on Azerbaijan and Turkey, enforce Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act to end all military assistance to Azerbaijan, and recognize Artsakh’s independence as the only means of ensuring the fundamental rights of the Armenian people are upheld.

The United States must also provide an initial $250,000,000 package of emergency humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and development assistance to Artsakh and to help Armenia support the over 100,000 refugees forcibly displaced from their native lands.

Failure to take immediate action will only leave Armenia and Artsakh vulnerable to further aggression by the emboldened Turkish and Azerbaijani regimes, which still remain committed to the fulfillment of their genocidal pan-Turkic ambitions – evidenced through the provision to establish a link between Turkey, Nakhichevan, and Azerbaijan.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region stands with the Armenians of Artsakh, and remains committed to ensuring the survival of the Armenian nation. We will continue in every possible way to advocate for the United States Government to hold Turkey and Azerbaijan accountable, and stand up for the values of democracy and human rights that we as a country cherish.