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Rusif Huseynov is Director of the Topchubashov Center, in Baku. His main research interests comprise socio-political developments, frozen conflicts, and ethnic minorities, in post-Soviet countries, while his geographic focus mainly covers Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Caucasus, and Central Asia. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Baku State University and a Master’s degree from the University of Tartu. He is a ReThink.CEE (2021) fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States and Local Focal Point within the EU4Dialogue project. He also taught as an adjunct lecturer at ADA University. He pens articles for international outlets such as The National Interest, The Jamestown Foundation’s Eurasia Daily Monitor, and New Eastern Europe.
Why they left: The causes and implications of the Russian peacekeepers’ withdrawal from Karabakh
On April 17, Russian and Azerbaijani officials confirmed that the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in Karabakh since November 2020 had begun pulling out from the region. The reasons behind the decision remain a matter of intense debate; but it is possible to draw several important conclusions from its timing and consequences.
