Day: June 12, 2025

Azerbaijan responds to Medinsky’s Karabakh statement

Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky’s description of Karabakh as a “disputed territory” has provoked a strong reaction in Azerbaijan — from the Foreign Ministry to political analysts.

On 9 June, in an interview with the TV channel Russia Today, Medinsky, who chairs the commission on historical education and leads Russian delegation in Ukraine peace talks, compared the war in Ukraine to the situation surrounding Karabakh.

“If the conflict on the Russian-Ukrainian front ends merely with a ceasefire and no real peace is achieved, the situation will resemble the disputed region of Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.

Medinsky’s remarks sparked official discontent in Azerbaijan. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizadeh, commenting on the issue, stated that Karabakh has never been a “disputed territory” and that Russia itself has recognised the region as part of Azerbaijan.

He described the comparison as inappropriate and provocative:

“Azerbaijan has never occupied the territory of another state. In 2020 and 2023, Azerbaijan conducted operations solely on its sovereign territory and restored its position in accordance with international law.”

“Kremlin is sending Baku a signal”

Following the statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova sought to defuse tensions, saying that Medinsky was highlighting historical and social aspects, and that his words had been taken out of context.

However, political analyst Elkhan Shahinoglu believes that Medinsky’s remarks were not a slip of the tongue, but part of an increasingly deliberate messaging campaign from the Kremlin.

Shahinoglu also sees the RIA Novosti report, citing an unnamed Kremlin source and stating “Moscow hopes Baku will recognise Russia’s new regions and Crimea,” as part of this pattern.

“This is indirect pressure on Azerbaijan to recognise territories seized by Russia from Ukraine, including Crimea. The Kremlin is sending messages to Baku both through official figures and through state media.

Azerbaijan liberated Karabakh from occupation. Russia occupied Donbas. Drawing a parallel between these two cases is historically, legally and politically wrong,” Shahinoglu said.

In his view, all of this indicates that Russian provocations against Azerbaijan are likely to continue.

He adds that “a state taking such a stance cannot be called a strategic partner and should not be permitted to open a consular office in Khankendi, in Karabakh.”

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“There is a difference between Karabakh and Donbas”

Former Foreign Minister Tofiq Zulfugarov described Medinsky’s remarks as “unnecessary and unfounded”:

“Azerbaijan’s issue has already been resolved within the framework of international law. Anyone’s personal opinion is of no relevance to us. Medinsky is simply trying to invent arguments to support his position.”

Zulfugarov noted that since 1994, Azerbaijan had shaped its position within the ceasefire and negotiation framework, while Armenia refused to accept these terms for many years.

The TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) Secretariat is preparing to commence technical studies on the Iran-Azerbaijan-Georgia transport route in the near future, Azernews reports, citing an interview with TRACECA Secretary General Aset Asavbayev in local media.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev сongratulates Russian President Vladimir Putin  AzerNews

Azerbaijan’s State Border Service (SBS) has thwarted an attempt to violate the state border from the Islamic Republic of Iran, intercepting a significant amount of narcotics in the process, Azernews reports.

Moscow vows to respond harshly to Kyiv’s provocations and missile threats

Moscow will not leave any attempt at provocation by the Ukrainian authorities unanswered and will respond to any missile threat against it, Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Alexander Darchiev said in an interview with TASS – his first official interview since the start of his diplomatic mission in Washington on March 26. According to him, issues of strategic stability cannot be discussed separately from the conflict in Ukraine. He also expressed concern about U.S. plans to create the Golden Dome missile defense system. “We are certainly taking all these factors into account, making it clear to Washington that provocations by the Western-backed Zelenskyy regime and the emergence of very tangible missile threats, including along Russia’s borders, will be met with an inevitable and decisive response,” Darchiev said (TASS).

Medinsky: Ukraine’s refusal to compromise means new territorial losses  

If Ukraine continues to reject compromise solutions in negotiations with Russia, it could result in the loss of new territories for the country. According to TASS, this was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky, who heads the Russian delegation in talks with Ukraine. “We want peace, but if Ukraine continues to be guided by the national interests of other [countries], then we will be forced to respond,” Medinsky said. He also stressed that it is impossible to wage a protracted war with Russia, recalling the 21-year conflict with Sweden in the past as an example of what happens when attempts to confront Moscow over the long term fail (TASS).

Ryabkov: Nuclear deterrence not affected by Ukrainian Armed Forces’ attacks

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ attacks on Russian airfields did not damage the country’s nuclear deterrence. According to him, information about the consequences of these strikes has been deliberately exaggerated by Kyiv. Ryabkov stressed that Russia’s strategic potential remains on full alert, including with regard to the U.S. and other potential adversaries. He also expressed concern about the lack of response from Washington and London to Moscow’s demands to influence Kyiv and stop the escalation. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported attacks by Ukrainian FPV drones on airfields in five regions of Russia. According to the ministry, the strikes were repelled in the Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions, and fires in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions were quickly extinguished, with no casualties among personnel (ria.ru).

Russia and the U.S. to move bilateral talks from Istanbul to Moscow and Washington

Russia and the U.S. have made a preliminary decision to move bilateral talks on eliminating irritants in relations from Istanbul to Moscow and Washington, Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Alexander Darchiev said. According to the Vedomosti newspaper, he confirmed that the next round of consultations will take place in Moscow in the near future. He said that the talks are difficult due to anti-Russian politicians in the U.S. Congress. Despite this, Darchiev stressed the importance of moving forward, noting the positive results of the previous meeting on April 10 in Istanbul, where measures to restore direct air links, facilitate visa procedures, and simplify the movement of diplomats were discussed. Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov announced that the third round of consultations would be held soon (vedomosti.ru).

Belarusian Foreign Minister denies Russia plans to go to war with Europe

Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov said that Russia has not sought and does not seek war with Europe. He noted that the Western narrative about Russia’s possible advance to London or Paris after the conflict in Ukraine is absurd. “When I meet with our partners from the West, I say: guys, don’t talk nonsense, no one is going anywhere. There is a task that needs to be solved, and the sooner you agree that Russia is right… There has been, there is and there will be no desire to go further. It is completely contrary to the nature of things, the Russian leadership, and the Russian people,” he said. Ryzhenkov also stressed that under the pretext of the Russian threat, Western countries are increasing militarization, forcing their citizens to pay for it. At the same time, Belarus, according to him, is interested in the earliest possible end to the conflict in Ukraine (EADaily).  

Governor of Sakhalin on China’s plans to produce drones on the island

Chinese partners have proposed the creation of several large facilities on Sakhalin, including a drone production center, Gazeta.ru reported citing the press service of the Sakhalin regional government. The initiative was discussed at a Russian-Chinese forum attended by the region’s governor, Valery Limarenko. The Runfa Investment Group expressed interest in implementing the project, and Limarenko noted the promising prospects for the production of UAVs in the region. According to the media outlet, from January to May 2025, trade turnover between Russia and China amounted to US$88.8 billion, which is 8.2% less than in the same period last year (Gazeta.ru).

The global judo community has gathered for the 2025 IJF Congress in Budapest, Hungary, Azernews reports.

Baku hosted a bilateral meeting between representatives of the medical services of the Azerbaijani and Georgian Ministries of Defense, focusing on cooperation in the field of military medicine, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry.