Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes test Russia’s support for regional ally

A new round of fighting has erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan, threatening to unravel a Kremlin-brokered ceasefire and testing its support for traditional allies during the war in Ukraine.

The violence, which is among the deadliest since a war between the two countries ended in 2020, is the latest security challenge in Russia’s sphere of influence since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Russia. Ukraine in February. Isolated by the West during the war, Russia has diminished its influence over some of its former partners in the post-Soviet world.