Russia deepens strategic partnership with Azerbaijan despite Ukraine disagreement

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's reiterated support for Ukraine's territorial integrity was "mistaken", and warned that Russia considers that stance erroneous.

Peskov also said Russia remains committed to deepening its strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, stressing that disagreements on individual issues such as Ukraine do not undermine overall bilateral relations and that a pragmatic approach will guide cooperation in trade, energy, transport and logistics.

Aliyev had earlier reaffirmed support for Ukraine's sovereignty at the Shusha Media Forum, responding to journalist Dmitry Gordon. Relations between Moscow and Baku have improved after previous tensions, including a 2024 incident where a Russian missile mistakenly downed an Azerbaijan Airlines jet.