Russia blames ally Armenia for breakdown in talks with Azerbaijan

FILE PHOTO: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks during the annual news conference of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia January 14, 2022. Maxim Shipenkov/Pool via REUTERS

TBILISI (Reuters) - Russia on Thursday blamed Armenia for a breakdown in peace talks with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, in the latest sign of friction between allies Moscow and Yerevan over the conflict.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have for months been in talks to broker a peace deal over Nagorno-Karabakh - a breakaway enclave internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but home to a mainly Armenian population.