Eduard Sharmazanov, a member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) executive body, has raised the question of whether the Russian authorities will criticize the warm meeting between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Volodymyr Zelensky. During this meeting in Kyiv, the Azerbaijani representative received the Ukrainian President's gratitude for the assistance provided.
Sharmazanov recalled that back in February 2022, immediately before the start of military operations, Russia and Azerbaijan signed a document on strategic alliance. According to him, since then, Azerbaijan has been openly showing political support to Ukraine, which is an opposing party for Moscow.
The opposition figure questioned whether the Russian Foreign Ministry would summon the Azerbaijani ambassador to deliver a note of protest, or if such contacts remain unpunished for Baku. Sharmazanov emphasized that similar behavior by the Armenian authorities would most likely be met with a harsh reaction in Moscow. He described this as a demonstration of double standards, using the well-known ancient Greek expression: "What is permissible for Jupiter is not permissible for an ox."
This episode is notable as it highlights the ambiguous manifestations of Russian influence and allied relations in the post-Soviet space. When states with allied obligations pursue contradictory policies, it becomes a serious diplomatic challenge for Moscow.
The question arises as to how effective declarations of alliance are when applied selectively. It also remains unclear whether Russia intends to revise its approach toward Baku, or if silence is becoming the new reality in this situation.
