2024-08-20 23:39:34
Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to the Azerbaijani capital Baku to divert attention from the situation in Russia’s Kursk region, according to analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). According to analysts, Putin wants to strengthen his image as a capable diplomat.
Putin toured the Azerbaijani capital with President Aliyev | Video: Associated Press
Putin traveled to Azerbaijan on August 18, accompanied by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the entire delegation. He came to Baku for a two-day visit, which included a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The presidents were supposed to talk about strengthening Russian-Azerbaijani relations, especially in the field of energy, about supporting Russian-language programs in Azerbaijan. They also discussed the role of Russia in mediating peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“The timing of this visit is remarkable given the current situation in the Kursk region and the Kremlin’s continued efforts to downplay the scale and impact of the Ukrainian incursion,” ISW analysts wrote in their report. Putin last commented on the situation in the Kursk region eight days ago. He has not said anything publicly on the subject since August 12. At the same time, it is the first incursion of the army of a foreign state into Russian territory since the Second World War, The Moscow Times pointed out. In addition, the fact that many civilians had to be evacuated makes the situation more difficult for him domestically.
According to ISW, the Russian media also focused on Putin’s trip to Azerbaijan, which emphasized even small details. “Probably in part to divert attention from the unpleasant situation in Russia by saturating the information space with a display of the Kremlin’s global diplomatic engagement and its alleged successes,” the Institute for the Study of War explained.
Analyst Fuad Šachbazov, quoted by the Czech Press Agency (ČTK), believes that the main goals of Putin’s trip are related to economic and especially energy issues. According to him, it is possible that Moscow and Baku will agree on the supply of Russian gas for the internal market of Azerbaijan, which would compensate for the increase in the export of Azerbaijani gas to Europe instead of Russian gas.
In recent months, Baku and Yerevan have been conducting direct negotiations on border demilitarization and the conclusion of a peace treaty. The BBC pointed out that this month the two countries removed from the draft treaty a clause on a transport link between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani territory surrounded by Armenia, Iran and Turkey. Azerbaijan and Russia wanted Russia to control the road corridor in question, but Armenia opposed it.
Relations between Yerevan and Moscow have cooled after losing the war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, as the Armenian government is unhappy that Russia and other post-Soviet allies have not supported it.
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“Dealing with a government that attacks civilians makes no sense,” Putin said at a meeting with governors | Video: Associated Press