Azerbaijan Halts Karabakh Offensive After Ceasefire Deal with Armenian Separatists
Azerbaijan launched an “anti-terror” operation against the majority Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh province Tuesday, Sept. 19. Home to 120,000 Armenians, Karabakh has been the focal point of two wars and countless border disputes. The military action reportedly caused the deaths of over 200 Armenian service members and dozens of Armenian civilians and also led to the displacement of several thousand civilians. While Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, the province has retained local autonomy up until now. Less than 24 hours after the start of the assault, Armenians in Karabakh capitulated and agreed to give up weapons and to discuss possible integration into Azerbaijan under the terms of a Russian-backed deal. Armenian protesters took to the streets and clashed with police officers to denounce the inaction of the Armenian government.
Trudeau Accuses India in Killing of Sikh Man
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted that the Indian government was behind the July assassination of Sikh community leader and local plumber Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. Trudeau revealed that Canadian intelligence had indicated that the Indian government ordered Mr. Nijjar’s killing but did not provide any specific evidence. The Indian government referred to the accusations as “absurd” and alleged that Canada “provided a safe haven for Khalistan terrorists.” This is in reference to a movement in India to create a Sikh-majority sovereign state known as Khalistan. The Indian government has fought against the Khalistan movement and associated terrorists since the 1980s, and has recently cracked down on alleged funders of terrorism under Prime Minister Modi. Canada and India expelled each other’s diplomats in the fallout over the killing. Approximately 2.4 million Sikhs live in Canada out of a global population of about 25 million.
Poland to Stop Supplying Weapons to Ukraine Over Grain Row
Poland’s decision to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine occurred amid a recent dispute about grain prices. While Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters, a significant rift formed between the two nations after Russia closed the Black Sea shipping lanes this year and forced Ukraine to rely on overland shipping routes. Fearing that Ukrainian grain could bring down prices for local farmers, the EU decided to ban the importation of Ukrainian grain in five Eastern European countries until Sept. 15. Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary continued the ban on Ukrainian grain after Sept. 15. Ukraine immediately filed lawsuits against these three countries for violating EU trading agreements, which led to Poland’s decision to stop supplying weapons.
Ukraine Allies Back Kyiv’s Genocide Charge Against Russia at the World Court
The United States and other allies of Ukraine asked the International Court of Justice to decide that Russia can be tried for allegedly violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. Prior to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia frequently repeated the false claim that the Ukrainian government was committing genocide against ethnic Russians in Eastern Ukraine. The case, which runs from Monday, Sept. 18 to Wednesday, Sept. 27, will mainly focus on whether or not the ICJ has the jurisdiction to prosecute Russia. A conviction could allow Russian assets held abroad and frozen by Ukraine’s allies to be used to compensate Ukraine. Russian representatives have further defended the false claims of genocide and requested the case be dismissed, which the court denied.
