Former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Matthew Bryza, commented to Globalinfo.az on the recent developments that have escalated into diplomatic and political tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia.
Bryza stated that at the end of 2024, relations between Azerbaijan and Russia were very strong. Presidents Aliyev and Putin, after their meeting in November, declared that they had established very close bilateral relations:
“On December 25, a passenger plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines was tragically hit by a Russian surface-to-air missile over Grozny airspace. As you may recall, Russia did not allow the aircraft to land, so it continued flying over the Caspian Sea. As a result, it crashed near Aktau, causing the deaths of dozens of people. But thank God, there were survivors.”
Bryza continued:
“I believe President Ilham Aliyev became very angry because President Putin has still not officially apologized or taken responsibility for this tragedy that occurred in Russia. By portraying it as a mere accident, Russia added further insult.”
“Thus, at the end of last year and the beginning of 2025, Azerbaijan–Russia relations began to deteriorate, and in the following months, tensions escalated further.”
Bryza also highlighted the brutal attack and torture of Azerbaijani citizens by Russian security forces in Yekaterinburg at the end of last month, which led to the death of two Azerbaijanis. This incident, he said, further outraged President Aliyev:
“Azerbaijan has shut down the local office of ‘Sputnik’, a Russian state media outlet. Now, it’s also being reported that Azerbaijan is preparing—or at least considering—closing all Russian-language schools in the country. This is a very significant move, as Russians have historically claimed the right to defend Russian speakers’ rights abroad. Whether through hybrid warfare in the Baltic states or kinetic warfare in Ukraine, they’ve acted on this claim.”
“So yes, the tension is truly rising. There’s a broader context here: I believe Russia is trying to undermine the peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as the two countries are getting closer to signing a peace agreement. Such a deal would reduce Russia’s influence and leverage in the South Caucasus.”
“At the same time, Armenia is distancing itself from Russia and strengthening ties with the EU and the U.S., while Azerbaijan’s relationship with Turkey is growing stronger. Russia is bogged down in Ukraine and is rapidly losing its influence in both Azerbaijan and Armenia. The recent brutal crackdown on Azerbaijani detainees might have been intended as a signal to Baku—but President Aliyev is responding very forcefully.”
Translated from globalinfo.az
