Washington (AFP) - The United States on Friday urged Azerbaijan to pull back forces "immediately" after complaints by Armenia sparked fears of a new flare-up after last year's six-week war.
Azerbaijan has denied Armenia's charges of infiltration and said that it was solely moving border troops within areas under its control.
The United States pointed to reports that Azerbaijan was pulling back and urged it to do so.
"Military movements in disputed territories are irresponsible and they are also unnecessarily provocative," said a State Department spokeswoman, Jalina Porter.
"We expect Azerbaijan to pull back all forces immediately and cease further provocation," she told reporters.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier Friday appealed to Russia for military support, and also said that France was considering putting the issue on the agenda of the UN Security Council.
Azerbaijan last year seized back territory controlled by Armenia for decades in fighting that left some 6,000 people dead.
The United States has close ties with Armenia, with President Joe Biden last month taking the landmark step of recognizing the mass killings of Armenians of 1915-17 by the waning Ottoman Empire as genocide.
But Washington has been careful also to maintain relations with Azerbaijan, a major energy player and key partner of US ally Israel.
