By apologizing to Ilham Aliyev at a meeting in Dushanbe for the downing of a passenger plane in 2024, Vladimir Putin effectively capitulated to Azerbaijan, according to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
According to him, after ten months of denial and disinformation about the causes of the tragedy, Moscow, under pressure from Baku, admitted responsibility for the downing of the plane by Russian air defense missiles. Kovalenko emphasizes that the war in Ukraine has weakened Russia, depriving it of the ability to engage in conflict with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and that attempts to pressure Baku have been unsuccessful.
"The era of imperial arrogance is over. Russia is no longer a center of influence, but a vulnerable player forced to reckon with those who were recently called 'little brothers,'" Kovalenko said.
