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,
Euronews reports.
“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.
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.
