The Armenian prime minister said that, while Armenia was prepared to accommodate those leaving Karabakh, they would not be under direct threat if they stayed put, under Azerbaijani rule.
Many Armenians believe the strategic partnership with Russia has brought their country nothing but ruin and want to look elsewhere, but Moscow retains ample levers to exert pressure.
The de facto authorities have agreed to disarm and start talks on integration with Azerbaijan, bringing an end to three decades of Armenian rule in the region.
Baku says it won't stop until it has achieved the dissolution of the Armenian-populated region's de facto government and the disbanding of its armed forces.
The aid was supplied by the Russian Red Cross via the Azerbaijani city of Aghdam. But the Lachin road, connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, remains closed.
Azerbaijan continues the arduous work of demining the territories it regained in the 2020 Second Karabakh War, accepting any international help offered. Questions remain, though, about the timeline and effectiveness of the work.
Dozens of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh have been allowed to leave the blockaded region over the past two days, triggering speculation about a possible deal.
The arrest sets a chilling precedent, as most of the adult male population of the region has either fought against Azerbaijan or served in the local army, which Baku calls an "illegal armed formation."
Azerbaijan seems happy with the EU-mediated track of negotiations with Armenia while seeing Russia as a barrier on the path to integrating Nagorno-Karabakh.
The de facto president and other officials are camped out in tents in Stepanakert's central square demanding that Armenia and Russia take action to end Azerbaijan's blockade.
Azerbaijan shut down all traffic between Nagorno-Karabakh and the outside world on June 15, exacerbating shortages and preventing patients from seeking urgent medical care.
Azerbaijan, which had been pressing hard for a resolution, has eased off following the Turkish elections and their establishment of a border post in Karabakh.
Roughly a month after Azerbaijan installed a border post on the Lachin corridor, a small but growing number of Karabakh Armenians are using the route. But there is still strong social pressure against doing so.