President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, signed a declaration ending hostilities between Armenians and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The deal appears as a handiwork of Russia, asserting itself as an only powerful mediator between the conflicting parties. According to the document, nearly 2000 heavily armed Russian troops will enter the region as peacekeepers.

It also largely satisfies Azerbaijan, who gained upper hand in fighting with troops of Armenian separatists of Nagorno-Karabakh. Along with already captured four districts around the region and city of Shusha, Armenia is committed to withdraw its forces from the other three. They are Agdam, Kalbajar and Lachin districts, which had been occupied by Armenians in 1992 – 1993, during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Armenians may find consolation only in not total loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, as its centre, city of Khankendi (Stepanakert in Armenian) stayed in their control, as well as other several Armenian populated towns and villages adjacent to it. They are also to be guarded by the Russian peace-keeper troops.

Azerbaijan will keep all acquired territories, which it had lost in the previous war, including some former Armenian populated parts that it captured now.

A corridor linking Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians with Armenia also will be guarded by the Russian troops to provide safe communication between them. A 5 km wide road passes through the district of Lachin, which Armenians should vacate by December 1. Deadlines to withdraw their troops from Agdam and Kalbajar, are 10 and 15 November, for Armenia.

Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, called the deal as ‘full capitulation for Armenia.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said he signed the document after careful and ‘deep analysis of situation’ and with ‘big pain’. He also vowed to revenge and called on for unity.

Protests erupted in the Armenian capital Yeravan, calling the declaration as ‘treason’. The mob attacked the speaker of the Armenian parliament and broke in the offices of the Prime Minister. Observers say a political crisis is already under way in Armenia, as many see the deal as betrayal of Armenian interests and surrender of territories.

However, facing total military defeat and loss of entire Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenians had almost no choice.

Experts also suggest that current end of hostilities does not mean a lasting peace and conflict may again flare up in the future.