During an interview with Rusarminfo, Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan said that Armenia is not responding to the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan as expected. Ruben Vardanyan answered the question of whether the international reaction is adequate.

"I see that many people in different countries react, but as states, as international organizations, no, of course. The same is in Armenia. Why are we talking about other countries, we can talk about Armenia. Armenia is not responding as I expected, I am surprised. It's really unexpected for me to see such indifference and such caution regarding this. When I arrived, the first session of the Government was about how we prepare for winter. The first issue of the first session was that this winter will be very dangerous, very cold," the Artsakh state minister said.

Ruben Vardanyan also noted that his move to Artsakh brought great problems for Azerbaijan. "I ruined everyone's plans. My coming here brought a very big problem for Azerbaijan and for those forces who want this issue to be resolved in a different way both in Armenia, and there are some in Artsakh as well, who would be very happy if this situation went quietly and without my participation. I understand that me coming here has brought greater interest to Artsakh in the world, a greater response to what is happening in Artsakh. People have more enthusiasm and faith. Contact with people in these three days showed that there is hope that not only me, but the people who came with me will create a new atmosphere, a new situation, which was in the early 1990s when the Artsakh movement had just started."

He also noted that there is no panic mood in Artsakh. "It's not that everything is at a standstill, nothing is working, we just need to understand that if we are going to live like this for the whole winter, it is a serious challenge that we are ready to accept and there is no problem."

It should be reminded that from 10:30 in the morning of December 12, a group of Azerbaijanis closed the Shushi-Karin section of the Stepanakert-Goris highway for environmental reasons, putting 120.000 residents of Artsakh under siege. 1.100 civilians, including 270 minors, cannot return to Artsakh, some of them temporarily staying in Syunik marz. The transport connection of Lisagor, Mets Shen, Hin Shen, and Yegtsahogh villages of the Shushi region with the capital Stepanakert is interrupted. Since December 13, Azerbaijan also interrupted the gas supply of the Republic of Artsakh. Gas supply was restored on December 16.