The International Response to the Exodus
The United Nations
The United Nations expressed concern about the humanitarian consequences of the military operation and mass displacement.
UN agencies, including UNHCR, supported refugee reception and relief operations in Armenia.
On October 1, 2023, a UN mission visited Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time in approximately three decades.
The mission traveled to Stepanakert and parts of the Lachin route.
Its members reported that very few ethnic Armenian residents remained.
The mission was told that between 50 and 1,000 Armenians might still be present, although this was not a verified census.
The UN team described the sudden departure of the population as striking and recognized the suffering associated with it.
It did not encounter reports of violence against civilians after the ceasefire from the limited number of people it interviewed. However, its visit was brief, its access to rural areas was limited, and it was not a comprehensive investigation into the preceding blockade, military operations, or possible violations.
The mission therefore could not resolve the broader questions of responsibility and accountability.
United Nations in Azerbaijan
The European Union
The European Union called for protection of civilians, humanitarian access, and respect for the rights of displaced people.
European institutions criticized the use of military force and emphasized the need for a negotiated settlement.
The European Parliament adopted strongly critical positions toward Azerbaijan's actions.
EU member states differed in their willingness to impose sanctions or adopt more confrontational measures.
The European Union also supported humanitarian assistance and maintained a civilian monitoring mission on Armenia's side of the international border.
The United States
The United States expressed concern over the Azerbaijani military operation and the displacement of Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population.
American officials called for humanitarian access, protection of civilians, and guarantees for those wishing to return.
The United States provided humanitarian assistance and participated in diplomatic efforts involving Armenia and Azerbaijan.
However, American diplomatic engagement did not prevent the September offensive or reverse the population displacement.
France
France was among the European countries most outspoken in criticizing Azerbaijan's military operation and supporting Armenia's security and humanitarian needs.
French officials called for stronger international responses, protection of cultural heritage, and safeguards for displaced Armenians.
France also expanded aspects of its defense cooperation with Armenia.
Russia
Russia's response became one of the most controversial aspects of the crisis.
Under the 2020 ceasefire arrangement, Russian peacekeepers had been deployed to monitor the ceasefire and the Lachin Corridor.
Yet the blockade continued, Azerbaijan established a checkpoint, and the September offensive proceeded without an effective Russian military intervention to prevent the defeat of Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian forces.
Armenian officials and many Armenian citizens accused Russia of failing to fulfill its security commitments.
Russian authorities argued that their peacekeeping mandate was limited and that the political and territorial circumstances had changed.
Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine also affected its regional position and diplomatic leverage.
The September 2023 events accelerated a broader deterioration in Armenian-Russian relations.
Turkey
Turkey supported Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity and welcomed the restoration of Azerbaijani control over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Turkey's close military and political relationship with Azerbaijan had been especially important during the 2020 war.
Ankara regarded Azerbaijan's territorial gains as a strategic development that could facilitate regional transportation and trade connections.
For Armenia, Turkey's support for Azerbaijan remained a major security concern.
Iran
Iran emphasized the importance of regional stability and the preservation of internationally recognized borders.
Although Iran maintained relations with Azerbaijan, it opposed geopolitical arrangements that might threaten its border with Armenia or alter regional transit access in ways it considered harmful.
Iran's position reflected the wider strategic consequences of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict beyond the immediate Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute.