Following the recent clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the United States urged both countries to withdraw their troops from the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Late on Thursday, Vedant Patel, a spokesman for the US State Department, expressed concern over the recent violence and stated that it undermines the progress achieved by Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent peace talks. He specifically mentioned the meetings between the foreign ministers of both countries that took place outside Washington last week.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev are scheduled to meet in Brussels on May 14 with the purpose is to build on the progress achieved in recent peace talks.

“We call on the leaders of both of these countries that when they convene in Brussels on [May] 14th to a – that these two parties agree to distance their forces along the border, as discussed by Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken during their participation of these negotiations that we hosted here in Washington DC, at the beginning of May,” Patel said during a news briefing.

Meanwhile, the Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that there are currently no plans for Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold talks with Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders. This comes in the context of a new escalation between Yerevan and Baku.

“We certainly expect a restrained approach from the parties and urge against any action that could escalate tensions. We will continue our contacts with Baku and with Yerevan,” Peskov said.

Following the recent fighting near the Armenian border village of Sotk, Armenian PM Pashinyan accused Baku of attempting to derail the peace process. The incident involved artillery fire and resulted in the death of one Azerbaijani soldier and the injury of four Armenian servicemen. According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, two additional Armenian soldiers were injured in an Azerbaijani drone attack on Friday morning near Sotk. The ministry stated that following the incident, the situation in that particular area of the volatile border remained “relatively stable.”

Referring to the recent military provocations and further negotiations, Armenian Deputy FM Paruyr Hovhannisyan highlighted that negotiations accompanied by such provocations, both before and after the meeting, have already become customary.

“It’s done. The American side did its best to create a positive atmosphere. It was a formative stage to bring positions closer to a possible draft treaty. Of course, several important issues still need to be discussed, which is why the meeting at the highest level is already being organized in Brussels. A discussion at the level of foreign ministers in Moscow will follow. There will be other meetings as well,” he concluded. 

Read also: Tension Grows Along Armenia-Azerbaijan Border After Washington Talks