Putin faces “unprecedented wrath” from one of his allies. The Azerbaijani plane crash that occurred on December 25 has devastated the Caucasian country. Although the tragedy was initially surrounded by speculation, as evidence increased, “Russia’s guilt was clear.”
According to the Czech media “although Vladimir Putin has apologized for the plane crash, he has not admitted guilt and his allies remain vague about the circumstances.” For the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Alivev, Forgiveness is “not enough.”
In one of the speeches after the accident, which he gave in Russian, the president criticized that “Moscow was trying to avoid responsibility for the downing of the plane“. “Efforts to cover up this incident have caused surprise, regret and justified indignation among Arzebaijanis.”
“I can say with certainty that the representatives of the Russian Federation They are guilty of the death of Azerbaijani citizens in this disaster,” he continued, in words that have been collected by the digital. “We demand justice, we demand punishment for the guilty and we demand full transparency and decent behavior“.
The text confirms that Before the air disaster, a certain approach could be observed between Russia and Azerbaijan. “Frequent meetings between the leaders of the two countries and warm photos of Putin and Aliyev suggested that the partnership was flourishing.” But after the events, “it is more important for the Azerbaijani president to maintain an image as a strong leader before the national audience to play into Russia’s hands”:
The situation can be compared with the reactions of both actors in different situations. Four years ago, and according to published information, Azerbaijani forces shot down a plane belonging to Moscow over Armenian territory. Thus, “their president immediately called the Russian president, blamed himself and his country, and he apologized“.
Some post-Soviet states seek new allies
According to the publication, representatives of some states, such as Armenia and Kazakhstan, “They no longer hesitate to publicly object to Putin“. In fact, “they are looking for new allies.” “For Armenia, the lost war in Nagorno-Karabakh was a great disappointment. “They depended on help from Russia, but its ineffective response led to closer relations with the West and Iran.”
However, maintaining an ally in the post-Soviet space is now “extremely important for Moscow.” Slavomír Horák, professor of Social Sciences at Charles University in the Czech Republic, says that “Armenia has suddenly become a rather interesting partner for Russia. If only to maintain a certain influence in the Caucasian region.” But the country is not up to the task.
