Main points
- Russian agents from Sputnik were detained in Baku, which indicates the loss of influence of the Kremlin.
- The conflict between Azerbaijan and Russia has escalated over the detention of Azerbaijanis in connection with a 2001 murder.
- Yermak believes that the Kremlin’s imperial model no longer works, and post-Soviet countries are increasingly declaring their right to choose their path.
Conflict between Azerbaijan and Russia / Collage 24 Channel
After a brutal raid by security forces in Yekaterinburg, Azerbaijan cancelled cultural events involving Russians and raided the offices of the propaganda outlet Sputnik. Yermak believes this is a signal that the imperial model no longer works.
This was reported by Channel 24 , citing the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak.
The OP named the reason for the conflict between Azerbaijan and Russia
Yermak noted that the Kremlin simultaneously entered into conflict with Azerbaijan and Armenia. Five years ago, Russia positioned itself as an arbitrator between the countries, but now it is perceived as a common enemy.
Russian special services are being forced out of Baku, arrests of pro-Russian figures are taking place in Yerevan, and open insults against the leaders of both countries are being heard in the Russian information space, he noted.
The head of the OP believes that the key reason for this is the Kremlin’s unwillingness to recognize the sovereignty of its neighbors.
“Instead of partnership, there are attempts at dictatorship. Instead of diplomacy, there is pressure. Instead of respect, there is imperial superiority. But the world has changed. And Transcaucasia is no exception,” Yermak believes.
Russia, which until recently tried to act as a mediator, has itself become a source of destabilization. Andrey Yermak believes that this is a natural result of the same logic that Moscow applies to Ukraine: denial of subjectivity, attempts at subordination, war.
The President's Office noted that these events indicate that Moscow's imperial model no longer works. The Kremlin is losing influence, and the post-Soviet countries are increasingly declaring their right to choose a path without a half-empire.
Why are there tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia again?
Thus, the conflict was caused by the detention of more than 50 Azerbaijani nationals in connection with the murder of Yunis Pashayev in 2001. The main suspects, brothers Guseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov, died shortly after being beaten. Although Moscow claims that they suddenly fell ill.
Azerbaijan was outraged by such measures and cancelled cultural events with the participation of Russians and the visit of a parliamentary delegation to Russia, and also summoned a diplomat of the aggressor country to the Foreign Ministry. In addition, searches were conducted in the Sputnik office, during which the executive director and editor-in-chief were detained.
It is also worth remembering that Russia has still not apologized for shooting down the Azerbaijani plane in December 2024.
