Dynamics of the Patron-Client Relationship and the Resolution of Frozen Conflicts: The Case of Nagorno-Karabakh
Dynamics of the Patron-Client Relationship and the Resolution of Frozen Conflicts: The Case of Nagorno-Karabakh

Summary/Abstract: In October 2023, following a surprise military operation conducted by Azeri forces, the frozen conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh became the first of its kind to be brought to an end within the post-Soviet space. Given that the Russian Federation played a prominent role in this conflict even from its emergence, any consideration of its termination should take into account the interests of the Russian Federation as shaped by the war in Ukraine. Therefore, an explanation for the violent conclusion of the Nagorno-Karabakh frozen conflict is advanced in this paper by framing the Russian approach to it in terms of the theory of the patron-client relationship as adapted to secessionist frozen conflicts. The findings are given a broader formulation that could bear relevance for other frozen conflicts around the Black Sea.

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