Baku — August 18, 2025
Russia’s continued strikes on Azerbaijani energy infrastructure in Ukraine are pushing Baku toward scaling back political and economic ties with Moscow, according to Azerbaijani MP and political analyst Rasim Musabekov.
Speaking to Minval Politika after Russia’s latest attack on a SOCAR oil depot in Ukraine’s Odesa region, Musabekov said the Kremlin’s behavior leaves little room for dialogue. The strike — the second in just ten days — destroyed over ten storage tanks and has already triggered a criminal investigation.
“Explaining anything to Russia is pointless,” Musabekov argued. “The same pattern was visible with the downed civilian airliner, with Moscow refusing to accept responsibility. Now they are trying to drag Azerbaijan into sharing blame for their war against Ukraine. That will not happen.”
The MP accused Moscow of deliberately targeting Azerbaijanis inside Russia by framing crimes through an ethnic lens:
“If there are criminals, they should be punished. But when ethnicity is emphasized, it becomes clear this is a deliberate policy — and it cannot go unanswered.”
Reducing ties with Russia
Musabekov suggested Azerbaijan should cut the scope of its political and trade engagement with Moscow:
“Russia’s conduct effectively pushes Azerbaijan to reduce the scale of our relations — lowering the level of political dialogue and shrinking trade and economic interaction.”
He recalled multiple proposals from Russian companies such as Lukoil, Gazprom and Rosneft, stressing that Baku should reconsider them in light of Moscow’s hostility toward SOCAR.
Supplying Ukraine
The lawmaker also urged Azerbaijan to supply Ukraine with surplus Soviet-era weapons, replacing them with modern Turkish systems:
“If Kyiv requests systems we no longer need, and there is proper payment, we should deliver them — without looking over our shoulder at Moscow.”
He reminded that Russia had freely supplied billions of dollars in arms to Armenia during the years of occupation of Azerbaijani territories:
“Russia had no qualms sending weapons worth a billion dollars across the Caspian and Iran to Armenia. We should act in the same straightforward manner and put Moscow before a fait accompli.”
Stronger international stance
Finally, Musabekov called on Azerbaijan to abandon neutrality in international forums and openly align with Ukraine and its partners:
“If earlier we abstained in votes condemning Russia for crimes and aggression, now we should stand with the global community, support Ukraine, and denounce Russia’s unacceptable actions. Moscow’s attitude toward Azerbaijan is arrogant and unfriendly — and it must be met with an adequate response.”
