The contested Nagorno-Karabakh region is at the heart of a decades-long armed standoff between neighbours Armenia and Azerbaijan. The heavy clashes seen last week prompted fears that the dispute could spark yet again another war in the region. Host Mark Leonard is joined by Nicu Popescu, head of ECFR’s Wider Europe programme, ECFR’s Turkey expert Asli Aydıntaşbaş and Sophia Pugsley, Caucasus Regional Manager at International Alert. They explain the background to this conflict, why it flared up again and talk about the situation on the ground. What kind of roles do Turkey and Russia play in the recent fights? Should the EU interfere, and if yes, how? Further reading: "A hill here, a village there: Nagorno-Karabakh and the salami-slicing wars", by Nicu Popescu: https://buff.ly/3joH77w This podcast was recorded on 30 September 2020. Bookshelf: “The story of a new name” by Elena Ferrante - “Envisioning peace: An analysis of grassroots views on the Nagorny Karabakh conflict” by Larisa Sotieva et al. - “Parts of a Circle: History of the Karabakh conflict“ a film by Conciliation Resources: https://vimeo.com/407942633 - “Biography of an empire. Governing Ottomans in an age of revolution” by Christine Philliou - “ Osman’s Dream: The history of the Ottoman Empire” by Caroline Finkel - “The Churchill Complex: rise and fall of the special relationship” by Ian Buruma