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U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to remain focused on holding the Aliyev regime accountable for ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) and to continue the United States’ support for Armenians who were forced to flee the region, the Foreign Relations Committee reported.

As reported by Joe Gould of Politico, “Senate Foreign Relations Chair Ben Cardin is upping pressure on Antony Blinken in a new letter urging that the Secretary of State get tougher on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over Baku’s ‘brazen campaign of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.’”

“National Endowment for Democracy CEO Damon Wilson argued Cardin’s letter is not a clash with Blinken, but leverage for him to address those concerns,” reported Gould. “Not only are there still Azerbaijani troops on Armenian territory but Baku is, internally, cracking down on its critics.”

“That’s an important factor when we want to see Azerbaijan not overplay its hand and encroach on Armenian sovereignty and stand down,” Wilson told Gould of Chair Cardin’s letter. “Those are things that Baku has to hear directly from Washington on.”

“I remain deeply concerned that Azerbaijan could take further military action to achieve additional political gains, particularly in regards to the so-called Zangezour corridor,” wrote Chair Cardin to Secretary Blinken. “I strongly encourage you to continue to work with international partners and organizations to support accountability for the Aliyev regime’s actions.”

“It is critically important that the United States continues our commitment to prevent the commission of atrocities, protect vulnerable civilians, and hold those responsible for atrocities accountable for their actions,” continued Cardin in his letter. “We must send a clear message to those who believe they can operate with impunity.”

A copy of the letter can be found here.