Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has proposed to stop the advance of his army in Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)], but there is a conspiracy under this “peace plan,” Russian State Duma member Konstantin Zatulin told Vzglyad online newspaper. Accordingly, as per Zatulin, if Baku is satisfied with controlling only the Lachin corridor, it will mean a complete blockade of the Karabakh Armenians.

"It is clear why Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is presenting such an ultimatum right now. The Azerbaijani army was able to take control of four of the seven Armenian-controlled areas along the Nagorno-Karabakh border. At the same time, the Lachin and Kelbajar regions, which are held by Armenians, are very important as a corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia,” said Konstantin Zatulin, who is also Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots.

Aliyev on Wednesday announced that Baku would suspend its military advance on Karabakh once it gained control of the Lachin and Kelbajar regions and parts of the Aghdam region. At the same time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that in a conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin he offered to hold talks with the conflicting parties. In his opinion, Putin should talk to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whereas Erdogan himself is ready to discuss the issue with Aliyev.