U.S. President Joe Biden said last week just such an invasion was “a distinct possibility” sometime in February. NATO and Washington have rejected Moscow’s demands outright but have offered further talks on issues such as disarmament pacts and establishing rules for staging military exercises.

The contents of replies from the United States and NATO were not disclosed. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Washington had made clear its “core principles” and could not accept any notion of a Russian veto on NATO membership and on the choice of alliance partners to be made by Ukraine.

Armenia has dropped its opposition to the project – on grounds that a “corridor” would imply extra-territorial status -- and is now actively moving forward with it.

In the end, the payment was met when the government’s State of Emergency Commission ordered the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to turn over to gas utility Moldovagaz $26 million originally intended to subsidise consumers' gas bills.

Russia marshalled tanks, drones, paratroopers and ships as part of a new show of force in its drive to secure “security guarantees” focusing on undertakings to ensure no further eastward expansion of NATO.

Sargsyan had been at odds with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, particularly on some of the issues in moving towards peace since last year’s 44-day “Second Karabakh War” in which Azerbaijan made big advances.

The U.S. president appeared to nuance a Western response, making a distinction between “a small incursion” and a full-blown invasion.

Nazarbayev’s comments, delivered somewhat nervously in a video address posted on his website, sought to scotch widespread suggestions of a power struggle between him and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan appeared to make some progress in two remarkably productive face-to-face meetings in quick succession late last year, though periodic outbreaks of violence hang over prospects for further discussions.