The United Nations Security Council convened a meeting at Armenia’s request to discuss fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Miroslav Jenča, the UN’s assistant secretary general for Europe, said the UN was ready to dispatch teams to respond to humanitarian needs at either Armenia or Azerbaijan’s request, while Armenia’s representative warned “there are credible reports that Azerbaijan is planning yet another military offensive by widening the geography of the aggression, including from the direction of Nakhichevan”.

Dismissing accusations Armenia initiated this week’s hostilities, Armenia’s representative called on Azerbaijan to release all remaining Armenian prisoners of war and “to engage peacefully in the negotiation process, including on issues resulting from and related to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including that of the status”.

Azerbaijan’s representative accused Armenia of attempting “to abuse the Security Council…with the aim to evade the implementation of its commitments”, adding that Azerbaijan “categorically rejects the allegations made by the representative of Armenia”,

The United States’ and Russia’s representatives each said they welcomed the ceasefire and stressed they remain in close contact with Yerevan and Baku.

France’s representative reiterated those points, while saying, “we call on Azerbaijan to hold its forces in their initial positions” and adding that “the territorial integrity of Armenia must be respected”.