Renewed fighting in the Caucasus shows Russia’s waning influence

have reasoned that a new offensive against Armenia, which it beat in a war over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh two years ago, would force its neighbour to make new concessions. Early signs suggested that the move had paid off. On September 14th, a day after Azerbaijan’s army unleashed a barrage of artillery and drone strikes against Armenian positions, Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, said he was ready to pay a high price for peace. “We want to sign a document, for which we will be criticised, scolded and called traitors,” he told parliament. “The people may even decide to remove us from power.”