Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided not to cancel his visit to Baku despite the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region. The Kremlin is trying to maintain its influence in the Caucasus and demonstrate the presence of "friendly" countries in the face of international isolation. This was stated by the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, UNN reports .
Details
According to the CPC, ru-propaganda actively covers the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijan, which the Kremlin leader made against the backdrop of the Armed Forces of Russia's operation in the Kursk region.
Despite the success of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region, Putin decided not to cancel his visit to Baku. In this way, the Russian dictator, according to the CPD, is trying to maintain the illusion that the situation is under control and that the Ukrainian army's operation in the Kursk region is not a big enough problem to make changes to the foreign policy schedule.
For Moscow, Azerbaijan is a tool that allows it to maintain its presence in the Caucasus amid a trend of declining Russian influence in the region in recent years. By maintaining ties with Baku, the Kremlin hopes to slow down this process
In addition, in the context of international isolation, it is important for Putin to demonstrate to the domestic audience the existence of "friendly" countries that are ready to continue cooperation with Russia, the Center for Public Policy added
Another important factor is that the choice of countries for visits is significantly limited by the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Putin on suspicion of a war crime - the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. Azerbaijan is on the list of "safe" states that have not signed or ratified the Rome Statute.
Recall
On August 18, Vladimir Putin began a two-day visit to Azerbaijan. He is scheduled to discuss cooperation between the two countries, the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace process, and the possible signing of new gas transportation agreements.