In a significant first visit to the South Caucasus since the start of Russia’s all-out war, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement next to President Ilham Aliyev he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin in Azerbaijan after the US-led diplomatic talks have stalled over the past weeks.
“It is vital for Ukraine that Russia finds the strength to end this unjust war,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated during his first visit to Azerbaijan since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as he said Baku could mediate the diplomatic process to put an end to Moscow’s all-out war.
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Standing next to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Zelenskyy said that “we have informed the president of Azerbaijan that we are ready for trilateral talks,” adding that Kyiv has already held such talks in Turkey and Switzerland.
“We are certainly ready for the upcoming talks in Azerbaijan, provided Russia is prepared for diplomacy,” Ukraine’s president said, highlighting the significance of his first visit to the South Caucasus since the start of the war.
The Kremlin had been rejecting the idea of the leaders meeting anywhere except Moscow. As Russia continues its relentless bombardment of Ukraine and its military offensive, the Kremlin hasn’t scaled down on its maximalist demands and repeatedly rejected any compromise.
In its response Kyiv stated that Zelenskyy is ready to meet Putin in any country except for Russia or Belarus, which has been supporting Moscow’s all-out war and was a launchpad for Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ilham Aliyev underlined that “Ukraine and Azerbaijan have supported and will continue to support the territorial integrity” of the two countries, reiterating Baku’s long-standing position towards the war in Ukraine.
Aliyev recalled visiting Kyiv in January 2022, days before Moscow’s attack, and announced on Saturday that the leaders had agreed to hold their next meeting in Ukraine.
“We exchanged views and, in short, we currently have quite substantial cooperation, which has been reaffirmed today,” Aliyev said.
Aliyev confirmed that among the issues discussed in Azerbaijan on Saturday, the leaders focused specifically on cooperation in the energy sector.
“We have achieved certain milestones. SOCAR (Azerbaijan's state-owned national oil and gas company) has been operating successfully in Ukraine for many years. And there are very good prospects now. We have joint projects, joint initiatives and investments. All these issues were discussed at length today. But, of course, we discussed trade, and this needs to be increased.”
But above all it was the security cooperation between Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv and Baku have “taken a very significant step” towards cooperation regarding the defence-industrial complex and security. He also confirmed that the “relevant documents” have been signed, but did not reveal details.
“I believe that this is not a question of weapons. Today, it is a question of stability for nations and peace of mind for people across the world, ensuring that countries are strong enough to defend themselves against any challenges,” Ukraine's president said.
“Any country, before they even consider the possibility of aggression, must know that the countries against which they wish to provoke hostilities are prepared for any challenge,” he added.
Azerbaijan’s president stated that over the past four years, the Saturday talks in Gabala marked the seventh meeting between the two presidents.
A vibrant city in northern Azerbaijan, Gabala is about 100 km from Azerbaijan’s border with Russia.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Gabala is a historic city of great significance to Azerbaijan, a symbol of multi-ethnic and religious coexistence and tolerance for centuries.
Dating back 2,500 years, it was a major transit hub of the Silk Road which connected the East and the West, the Caspian Sea space to the Black Sea, highlighting Azerbaijan’s current role as a key global energy transit point and a major supplier of energy to Europe.
Ukrainian military experts in Azerbaijan
Zelenskyy also confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian military experts have been deployed to Azerbaijan to share anti-drone expertise and their know-how.
"Ukraine is always committed to cooperation that strengthens both our partners and us,” Zelenskyy said, confirming that Kyiv is already working in with the Middle East, the Gulf region, the European Union, and has “substantive work with Azerbaijan.”
The war in Iran spilt over to Azerbaijan in early March as Tehran’s drones targeted the passenger terminal of the airport in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan and a school near the village of Shakarabad, close to the border with Iran.
But while other Ukraine’s security deals were announced publicly, this is the first time Kyiv and Baku have confirmed their cooperation in a much-anticipated statement.
Zelenskyy said recently that having reached 10-year agreements with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Ukraine is now “gradually turning attention to the Caucasus”.
Ukraine’s military attention to Caucasus
This region has for decades been viewed as part of Russia’s sphere of influence.
Zelenskyy’s first visit to Azerbaijan since the start of the war, with the added symbolism of the talks taking place so close to Russia's border highlights the fast-evolving dynamics in the region, despite Moscow’s efforts to normalise ties in the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan has provided Ukraine with humanitarian assistance on numerous occasions during Moscow’s all-out war, including following Russian strikes on Azerbaijan’s business and diplomatic facilities.
Zelenskyy and Aliyev met at the Munich Security Conference in February. On the sidelines of the event, Azerbaijan’s president said Russia deliberately targeted Azerbaijan's energy infrastructure and embassy during attacks against Ukraine.
"There were three attacks on the energy infrastructure of Azerbaijan in Ukraine, and there were also three attacks on the Azerbaijani embassy in Ukraine," Aliyev said in Munich.
"After the first attack, we could assume that it was accidental, and we gave our Russian colleagues all the coordinates of the diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan, including the consular department, our cultural centres, and everything else. Despite this, two more attacks took place. So it was a deliberate attack on the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan."
In November, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to voice a "strong protest" after the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kyiv was damaged by an Iskander-type missile in a Russian attack.