“I want to be especially clear that any disruption – and we’ve seen reports of disruption to energy infrastructure – any disruption to energy infrastructure could precipitate a humanitarian crisis, especially as we’re entering the winter months. If deliberate, it’s unacceptable to target the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh”, Ned Price said.

Earlier he said on Twitter that the closure of the Lachin Corridor has severe humanitarian implications. “It sets back the peace process. We call on the Government of Azerbaijan to restore free movement through the corridor. The way forward is through negotiations”, he said.