The Armenian government was under enormous pressure because of the large number of casualties, as well as the loss of territory, he explained.
About 20% of Azerbaijan's territory has remained under Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.
"The Azeris have taken, as we understand, territory that is essentially in the buffer zone between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. This is territory that Armenia has controlled since the 1994 ceasefire. Armenia considers it a buffer zone, a security zone, but it is Azeri territory. And for the last 26 years at least, both sides were supposed to have been negotiating the future of this territory as well as Nagorno-Karabakh," said Smith.
"The Azeris say after 26 years, nothing has been done, there has been no solution, as to what to do with this territory, and so with Turkey's support, they've been moving militarily. And they've succeeded in taking territory. Hence, the Armenians' enthusiasm to push for a ceasefire."
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