The competition for the right to become the main peacemaker in the conflict between Yerevan and Baku is getting sharper. Russia and the West, represented by the United States and the European Union, are jealous of each other’s efforts. The talks between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan, held on July 15 with the mediation of the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, were no exception. While they were talking about progress in Brussels, Moscow was inviting the foreign ministers of the two republics to talk, insisting that a peace treaty could only be reached through the mediation of the Russian Federation. This statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which also contained criticism of the Azerbaijani and partly Armenian authorities, caused Baku bewilderment.