Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to new ceasefire

The Russia-backed deal signed early on Tuesday will include territorial concessions and the involvement of Russian peacekeepers. Armenia and Azerbaijan violated previous peace agreements in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh minutes after they began. Nagorno-Karabakh is in the majority Muslim nation of Azerbaijan, but Armenian Christians have populated the area since 1994.

What does the truce entail? Armenian forces will surrender control of areas outside the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the eastern district of Agdam and the Lachin region. The deal will establish transport links through Armenia that will connect Azerbaijan and its western exclave of Nakhchivan. Some 1,960 Russian peacekeepers will serve in the region under a five-year mandate. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian called the truce "extremely painful" but necessary. Azeri forces on Sunday confirmed they captured the strategic city of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabakh. Thousands of people gathered at the main square in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan on Tuesday to protest the deal, while cars honked in celebration in Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku.

Dig deeper: Read my report on how the six-week war has affected Armenian Christians.