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Russia considers Azerbaijan’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and opposition to occupation “erroneous,” but does not believe the disagreement should harm relations between Moscow and Baku, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
“We believe this point of view is erroneous,” Peskov told reporters during a press briefing. “And we will consistently and convincingly explain why we believe it is erroneous through all channels.”
His comments followed remarks by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who on Monday repeated his advice for Ukraine to “never agree to occupation” and said Azerbaijan’s position remained unchanged.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan had consistently supported Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders.
“We have always supported, support, and will continue to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity, its sovereignty, and the inviolability of its borders,” Aliyev told participants at the fourth Shusha Global Media Forum.
“The borders of no state can be changed by force or without the consent of the people of that country,” he said.
Aliyev described Azerbaijan’s position as consistent and firm, adding that Baku remained ready to assist the Ukrainian people in any way it could.
Peskov said Russia and Azerbaijan maintained close relations despite their differences over Ukraine.
He noted that several countries with close ties to Moscow shared Azerbaijan’s position, which Russia “categorically” rejected.
Peskov described the matter as a “point of disagreement” but said Moscow did not consider it a reason to allow tensions to affect bilateral relations.
“At the same time, we believe this is not a reason for this issue to cast any shadow on our bilateral relations,” he said. “We are taking a pragmatic approach here.”
Peskov also responded to recent remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying they demonstrated what he described as the “impasse” of Europe’s position on the war in Ukraine.
“If the Europeans are truly convinced of this position, and if they insist on it, it will absolutely rule out the possibility of European countries participating in the settlement process,” Peskov said.
He argued that security guarantees related to Ukraine could not be formulated without Russia’s participation.
Peskov also denied European Union accusations that Russia was responsible for cyberattacks.
He said Moscow was repeatedly blamed for actions in which it had no involvement and described the allegations as unfounded and unsupported by evidence.
“Such accusations are always unfounded, never substantiated, and we never hear any evidence,” he said.
The U.K. Foreign Office on Monday announced new sanctions coordinated with the EU, saying they targeted the Russian state’s “persistent and increasingly reckless attempts to sow chaos and division across Europe.”
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