The Failure of the European Union to Address the Threat of Ethnic Cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh

Abstract

The ceasefire that ended the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War paused the fighting but also precipitated major challenges to human rights and humanitarian issues. Nagorno-Karabakh's status remained unresolved, even as Azerbaijan gained control of large parts of the region. Since then, Azerbaijan’s impunity and ethnic animus against Armenians has created fears of ethnic cleansing. Azerbaijan's 2022-2023 blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh in particular which has deprived the Armenian population of food and medicine, directly contravenes its obligations under the ceasefire. The European Union is striving to negotiate a settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan but has faced criticism for not substantively addressing these human rights and humanitarian issues. Despite having the political and legal tools, the EU's lack of engagement on these concerns threatens regional stability and undermines its credibility as an ethical international actor. If a mass atrocity occurs while the EU actively seeks a settlement but fails to intervene, it would bear responsibility for the outcome.