At the Shusha Media Forum taking place from June 20-22 in the Azeri city of Susha, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev delivered a firm and symbolic message yesterday to Ukraine: “Never accept occupation.”
In an indication of increased tensions with Russia, Aliyev spoke as the leader of a nation that has restored its territorial integrity after nearly three decades of conflict with Armenia, traditionally backed by Moscow. He offered strategic insight along with a personal account of Azerbaijan’s long struggle.
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“I believe this aligns with the aspirations of the Ukrainian people. Never accept occupation. That is the main advice. That is what we did,” Aliyev said in response to a question from Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon.
He recalled the aftermath of the First Karabakh War – a period marked by heavy losses, economic collapse, and mass displacement. Over 700,000 Azerbaijanis were displaced from the Karabakh region, and another 250,000 were expelled from Armenia, leaving the country with over a million internally displaced persons and no substantial international support.
“At that time, our population was only 8 million. We had one of the highest refugee-per-capita ratios in the world. Our budget was empty, and there was virtually no support from abroad,” Aliyev noted.
Aliyev credited his father, Heydar Aliyev, with stabilizing the state. Since taking office in 2003, Ilham Aliyev said he had spent 17 years focused on regaining the occupied territories – a goal achieved through military campaigns in 2020 and 2023, despite international resistance and what he called a pro-Armenian bias from the OSCE Minsk Group.
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“We decided to create new realities. And eventually, others had to accept them. That’s exactly what happened,” he said.
Aliyev stressed that national unity played a critical role in Azerbaijan’s success:
“The consolidation of society gave me the moral strength I needed as president and commander-in-chief. I was confident my people were behind me. That was probably one of the decisive factors.”
Tensions with Russia intensify
Aliyev’s speech – delivered as Ukraine continues to resist Russian aggression – comes amid growing tensions between Baku and Moscow. These tensions have deepened since Azerbaijan completed the reintegration of Karabakh, diminishing Russia’s regional influence and sidelining its peacekeeping role.
Recently, pro-Kremlin Russian media outlet Tsargrad alleged that Azerbaijan assisted Ukraine in sabotaging Russian military installations as part of a covert operation known as Operation Spiderweb. Citing unnamed intelligence sources, the channel claimed that Azerbaijani diaspora groups in Russia provided logistical support to Ukraine. No credible evidence was presented, and Azerbaijani officials have not commented, but the accusation reflects increasing suspicion and hostility in Moscow.
Lawsuit over downed AZAL plane
In a separate development highlighting rising bilateral friction, President Aliyev announced that Azerbaijan is preparing an international lawsuit against Russia over the crash of an AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines) aircraft, which occurred several months ago under still-unresolved circumstances.
“The circumstances of the incident are as clear as day,” Aliyev said.
“But in seven months, we have not received a single coherent explanation from Russia.”
He criticized the slow pace of the investigation and stated that Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office has yet to receive any findings from the Russian side. Aliyev demanded that the circumstances be fully clarified and compensation paid to the victims’ families.
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