What did Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried come to the  region with?

ArmInfo. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Asian Affairs Karen Donfried, who visited Baku on June 15-16, briefed a group of journalists Thursday  evening, Turan reports. 

In her opening remarks and during her answers to questions, she  limited the range of topics. These included issues of regional  security and cooperation, the war in Ukraine, and Azerbaijan's role  and importance in these processes.

As opposed to other high-ranking U.S. diplomats, Donfried lectured  rather than responded to the questions posed. She tried to use  general phrases, avoiding specifics.

Reporting about the fruitful meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, she  did not disclose its content. When asked by Turan whether she had  discussed facts of violations of freedoms and human rights, Donfried  avoided giving a clear answer as saying that fundamental freedoms are  a priority for the US.

There have been recent threats from various Russian political circles  against Azerbaijan, including a call for a nuclear strike against its  oil infrastructure. Will the U.S. be ready to help Azerbaijan in case  of such aggression? This was also met with an evasive response, the  essence of which was that the aggression against Ukraine was  unprovoked, it was terrible, and Azerbaijan was right to provide  moral and humanitarian support to Kiev.

Asked about prospects of the Karabakh settlement and the development  of energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and the West, she voiced an  appeal for peaceful coexistence and the Azerbaijan's large role in  the energy security of Europe and the region.

Summing up the meeting results, it can be concluded that the purpose  of the regional visit of Karen Donfried is much wider than the raised  issues, and the message that Washington wants to convey to the  countries of the South Caucasus is as follows

1) It is obvious for the South Caucasus countries that the prospects  for their well-being and sovereignty largely depend on the resolution  of local conflicts and above all in Karabakh. In this case, the West  should not be excluded as mediators.

2) In this case, one can count on collective and effective assistance  from the West.

3) The Biden administration has become more active in the South  Caucasus region, and regular visits of senior Washington officials,  personal communication between Secretary Blinken and the leaders of  the three countries, and messages from President Biden himself bear  witness to this.

4) Facts of violations of human rights and freedoms, while remaining  a priority, take a back seat to this case, and will not be the  subject of pressure from Washington.

5) The U.S. intends to prevent Ukraine's defeat, and seeks to  maximize the coalition of countries in support of Kiev.

Another important conclusion is that, in contrast to the Trump  administration, the current U.S. leadership does not want to let the  situation in the South Caucasus go unchecked.

For official Baku, this is a favorable outcome, as it allows a  balance between Moscow and Washington.  However, improving relations  with the U.S. would require an improvement in democracy and a softer  stance on the Karabakh issue.