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Russia and Azerbaijan: politics, economy, the issue of alliance with Ukraine – Google Search google.com/search?q=Russia+a…
Azerbaijan’s political and economic ties with Russia have soured significantly in 2024 and 2025, while its relations with Ukraine have strengthened. This shift is primarily driven by Russia’s diminishing influence in the South Caucasus, a diplomatic crisis sparked by a downed Azerbaijani airliner in December 2024, and Azerbaijan’s growing ties with the West and Türkiye. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Politics: Deterioration of Russia-Azerbaijan relations Recent events have led to a sharp increase in tensions and a deterioration of political ties between Baku and Moscow.• Airliner incident: A major catalyst for the current crisis was the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet by Russian air defense in Kazakhstan in December 2024. Russia’s slow, uncooperative response and initial attempts to cover up the incident infuriated Azerbaijan.
• Waning influence in the South Caucasus: Azerbaijan’s military victory over Armenia in the 2023 offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh demonstrated Russia’s weakening role as a regional security guarantor. In 2024, Azerbaijan successfully pushed for the premature withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the region.
• Diplomatic crisis: In June 2025, Russia launched a crackdown targeting ethnic Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg, leading to the deaths of two Azerbaijanis. In retaliation, Azerbaijan suspended the operations of Russia’s Sputnik media agency and arrested Russian nationals.
• Sidelining the Kremlin: Both Azerbaijan and Armenia are pursuing peace talks and strategic agreements, including mediation by the U.S., which have sidelined Russia and limited its traditional influence over the peace process. [1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8]Economy: Mixed and changing dynamics While political ties have cooled, economic interactions present a more complex picture.
• Trade continues, but risks persist: Despite heightened political tensions in 2025, overall trade volume between Russia and Azerbaijan has surprisingly increased, with Russian imports rising sharply. However, Russia’s informal trade restrictions on Azerbaijani goods and agricultural products pose risks to Azerbaijan’s economy, which is dependent on Russia as a major export market for many goods.
• Shifting energy and logistics: Azerbaijan is a critical logistical link for Russia, particularly the North-South transport corridor, as Moscow seeks alternatives to sanctioned European routes. Russia’s dependence on Azerbaijan for this transit, combined with Baku’s successful diversification of its own partnerships, gives Azerbaijan a stronger negotiating position.
• Russia’s punitive strikes: Russia has demonstrated a willingness to use economic pressure by striking Azerbaijani energy assets in Ukraine. In August 2025, Russian drone strikes damaged Azerbaijani-owned oil and gas facilities, an act intended to intimidate Baku and hinder its cooperation with Ukraine. [1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12]The issue of alliance with Ukraine Azerbaijan and Ukraine have developed a strong, strategic partnership since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
• Mutual support for territorial integrity: Both nations have publicly backed each other’s territorial integrity, with Ukraine consistently supporting Azerbaijan’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Energy cooperation: Following Russia’s attacks on Azerbaijani energy infrastructure in Ukraine, Baku and Kyiv have solidified their energy ties. This includes a July 2025 agreement for Azerbaijani natural gas supplies to Ukraine via the Trans-Balkan route, which helps Ukraine diversify away from Russian energy.
• Humanitarian and reconstruction aid: Azerbaijan has been one of the largest donors of humanitarian aid to Ukraine among post-Soviet states, providing over $42 million in aid, including energy equipment for Ukraine’s grid. Azerbaijani companies have also confirmed their readiness to participate in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.
• Geopolitical implications: The deepening Azerbaijan-Ukraine alliance, encouraged by the West, further strains Baku’s relationship with Moscow and accelerates Azerbaijan’s strategic shift toward closer ties with Europe and the U.S.. [4, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17]AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] commonspace.eu/opinion/russi…
[2] top-center.org/en/analytics/…
[3] carnegieendowment.org/russia…
[4] aze.media/why-azerbaijan-and…
[5] ridl.io/what-is-happening-be…
[6] civilnet.am/en/news/966663/r…
[7] turkiyetoday.com/opinion/aze…
[8] bbc.com/news/world-europe-66…
[9] reuters.com/business/energy/…
[10] azernews.az/analysis/244326.…
[11] jam-news.net/cool-politics-w…
[12] papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Deliver…
[13] cepa.org/article/russia-ukra…
[14] azerbaijan.mfa.gov.ua/en/par…
[15] newdosh.media/en/news/azerba…
[16] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerba…
[17] geghard-saf.am/en/694/russia…
–— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 27, 2025
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