Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Azerbaijan unlikely made any changes on Karabakh issue, analyst Ariel Cohen says.

In his article dedicated to Putin’s visit to Baku, analyst says the remark on solving Karabakh conflict by political means was a signal to Azerbaijan.

“The Kremlin is not ready or willing to discuss any new initiatives and proposals that could potentially lead to solving the protracted conflict. This is largely due to the simple fact that Nagorno-Karabakh is an important guarantee of Russia’s political and military presence in the South Caucasus,” says Cohen’s article published on The National Interest.

Ariel Cohen, senior research fellow in Russian and Eurasian studies at The Heritage Foundation, says Kremlin has lowered its mediation efforts which may give the U.S. a chance to restore its position in the South Caucasus. Reminding of Secretary of State John Kerry’s close ties to the Armenian community, the analyst says the Obama administration most likely dedicated him to conflicts in the Middle East.

“Unfortunately, this leaves the field wide open for Russia to reestablish its influence in the South Caucasus,” Cohen writes.