This past weekend we were shaken by the news of the large scale attacks by Azerbaijan on the ethnic Armenian civilian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), triggering a military conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia that could spill well beyond the South Caucasus and threaten international security. We at The Promise Armenian Institute express our great concern and strong condemnation of these new attacks and further escalation of fighting, especially during a deadly pandemic.We are also alarmed at rising instances of anti-Armenian rhetoric and increasing documentation of military support to Azerbaijan from the Republic of Turkey. It is in the best interests of the region as well as the international community for the fighting to cease and for there to be a return to peace negotiations.We join numerous members of the US Congress, the United Nations, and the OSCE-Minsk Group in calling for a ceasefire and de-escalation in inflammatory rhetoric, and a return of international monitors to the region. We firmly believe that diplomacy is the only path to peace and safety in the region. For updates on this rapidly changing situation, please see the links below. To read our July statement on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, please visit international.ucla.edu/armenia/article/225340. Ann Karagozian Director, The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA Distinguished Professor, UCLA Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Relevant Links and Updates: Human Rights Watch: Azerbaijan: Cluster Munitions Used in Nagorno-Karabakh (October 23, 2020) Genocide Watch: GENOCIDE EMERGENCY: AZERBAIJAN IN Nagorno-Karabakh (ARTSAKH) (October 23, 2020) ABC News Prime: Battle for Nagorno-Karabagh (October 9, 2020) PBS NewsHour: Why fighting between Armenia, Azerbaijan has regional implications (October 8, 2020) Forbes: Turkish Drones Over Nagorno-Karabakh—And Other Updates From A Day-Old War (September 28, 2020) Reuters: Turkey deploying Syrian fighters to help ally Azerbaijan, two fighters say (September 28, 2020) NPR: Fighting Between Armenia And Azerbaijan Threatens To Spiral Into Full-Blown War (September 28, 2020) Politico: US power vacuum risks escalating violence in Armenia-Azerbaijan (September 27, 2020) AP News: Fighting erupts between Armenia, Azerbaijan (September 27, 2020) NY Times: Fighting Flares Between Azerbaijan and Armenia (September 27, 2020) Reuters: Clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan threaten South Caucasus stability (September 27, 2020)