Baku, July 16, 2025 – The Europe Today: Romania’s prominent media outlet Gândul has published an article by political analyst Cristian Lisandru examining Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s balanced and principled approach to relations with Russia, noting a significant shift in Baku’s geopolitical posture.
Lisandru observed that recent short-term tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia underscore a broader recalibration in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy orientation. “President Ilham Aliyev is acting not only as a regional but also as an international leader, reshaping relations with Moscow in this context,” he wrote.
The article emphasized that Azerbaijani diplomacy has increasingly adopted an independent and assertive course in both political and economic domains. This shift has been reinforced by Baku’s deepening strategic partnerships with Türkiye, the European Union, and Central Asian countries, allowing it to engage with Russia on more flexible and self-defined terms.
According to the analyst, Azerbaijan’s victory in the Second Karabakh War in 2020 served as a turning point, greatly enhancing the country’s geopolitical stature. Lisandru noted that Azerbaijan has since emerged as a dominant regional force, especially in its negotiations with Armenia.
“Azerbaijan is not just an actor in the South Caucasus, but a country that dictates the rules of the game. Moscow has also begun to acknowledge this new reality,” he concluded.
The article reflects growing recognition in European political discourse of Azerbaijan’s evolving role in regional geopolitics and the broader implications of President Aliyev’s leadership on the international stage.
