President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan said he cannot imagine Artsakh's future without the presence of Russia. His remarks came during an interview with Artsakh Public TV.

"The question may arise here that Armenia is the guarantor of Artsakh's security, but the conflict is no longer an issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan or Artsakh and Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, for a long time now, this conflict has much deeper roots. There is the Shushi Declaration - Azerbaijan-Turkey, and Turkey's role in this last war, and its role after the war in the region has increased.  So, we expect more reliable guarantees from Russia, not just a peacekeeping mission.

 Of course we welcome the international community's activity today, but I want to say directly that for me the future of Artsakh is doubtful without Russia's guarantees," he said.

Harutyunyan added that Artsakh's self-defense cannot be questioned, and they will continue to improve it, despite the fact that Armenia is no longer involved in Artsakh's defense.