If the trilateral meeting scheduled for today takes place, and if it succeeds, this would make it the first example of Sambo diplomacy in history.

Intellectuals and activists from around the world call for an immediate halt to the shooting and attacks.

Having flooded the region with billions of dollars-worth of modern weapons, President Putin will now try to persuade Armenia and Azerbaijan not to use them against each other.

9 August: President Ilham Aliev of Azerbaijan and President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia are today in Sochi where they are expected to meet separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin is tomorrow (Sunday) also expected to meet with the two Presidents together to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

8 August: Azerbaijan has said that an Armenian captured during on going hostilities has died of heart failure. Twenty five year old Karen Petrossian was captured yesterday. Azerbaijani sources say that the International Committee of the Red Cross has been informed (commonspace.eu with APA).

Each side is simultaneously trying to project itself as both victim and victor. However the real victims are the young people who have been killed, and death is the only victor.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a meeting between the two Presidents is possible, but if and how it will take place will depend on the two Presidents.

3 August: In a statement issued on Sunday the European Union expressed concern at the latest armed incidents on the line of contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border over the last days. The statement said that the European Union calls on both sides to immediately respect the ceasefire, refrain from the use of force or any threat whereof, and continue efforts towards the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The statement added that the EU recalls that it stands ready to engage in renewed efforts towards a political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and to further contribute to peace-building efforts, in full complementarity with the OSCE Minsk Group.

They strongly condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians and shooting at representatives of international organizations.

Azerbaijan says it lost 12 soldiers killed in the last four days, Armenia says it has only suffered 3 fatalities but both sides say the adversary suffered more serious loses.