Diana Skaya, a journalist and anchor at TVP World who recently filmed a documentary in Armenia, said the legacy of the country’s brutal history is deeply intertwined with current tensions with neighboring Azerbaijan. 

She told TVP World’s News in Depth program that “the one word to describe what we feel is pain,” echoing voices heard on the ground. 

The roots of the modern Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict lie in Soviet-era decisions over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region historically populated by Armenians but assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan. 

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, war broke out in the early 1990s and never fully subsided. The most recent escalation in 2023 resulted in an Azerbaijani victory and the mass displacement of around 120,000 Armenians. 

“The reality is that it’s still very divided,” Skaya said, describing a society torn between hopes for peace and the trauma of loss. 

Shift away from Russia 

The aftermath of the latest conflict has reshaped Armenia’s geopolitical direction. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has openly criticized Moscow for failing to intervene during the 2023 crisis. 

“There were between 5,000 and 10,000 Russian peacekeepers… that did absolutely nothing,” Skaya noted, reflecting widespread frustration in Armenia. 

In response, Yerevan has begun strengthening ties with Western partners, including the EU and the US. 

EU mission on the ground 

A key element of this shift is the European Union Monitoring Mission, deployed along Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan in 2023. 

Skaya noted that since the mission began, Armenian authorities have reported no major border incidents — a rare period of calm. 

Despite diplomatic efforts, including a US-backed peace initiative and plans for new transport routes linking the region, skepticism remains strong among ordinary Armenians. 

One resident told TVP World: “Do you really think we can believe there will be peace?”