The world is in many ways still dealing with the effects of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Armenia and Azerbaijan when the Soviet Union collapsed became independent nations. No longer under Russian control, old ethnic tensions reemerged. The source of contention is the region known as Nagorno-Karabakh. Both nations claim certain areas of what was at one time an autonomous region as their own. A ceasefire was agreed upon in 1994. Conflagrations once more erupted in 2016. However, the difference in the 2020 clashes reveal that this could escalate into a much larger war. The issue is that a Portion of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh wants to merge with Armenia. Azerbaijan does not want to lose any territory to its enemy. The Soviet Union created this space to act as a buffer zone against possible ethnic conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. The biggest fear was that any ethnic revolt would would cause the U.S.S.R to fall. Armenian forces occupy territories surrounding the disputed region. Azerbaijan starting in July of 2020 made attempts to gain more territory in Nagorno-Karabakh. The fighting has intensified with other nations calling on a ceasefire to be made. A large long term war will gain the attention of Iran, Russia, and Turkey. Armenia and Azerbaijan need to have a permanent peace settlement rather than just temporary ceasefires. A conflict between two nations can easily spread to its neighbors. Being between both the Caspian and Black Sea makes an Armenia- Azerbaijan war too geopolitically significant to ignore.
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