The Kremlin reproached Aliyev for his "erroneous position" regarding Ukraine.

Azerbaijan's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity is a subject of disagreement between Moscow and Baku, but it should not affect Russian-Azerbaijani relations, said Putin's press secretary. Ilham Aliyev called the crisis in relations with the Russian Federation exhausted but mocked some of Moscow's steps.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the Russian ambassador to Baku, Mikhail Evdokimov, was summoned to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry on July 6, where he was handed a note of protest regarding the drone attack on July 5 on the SOCAR gas station in the Mykolaiv region. Russian strikes on SOCAR facilities in Ukraine are viewed by Baku as part of a broader set of disagreements and an attempt to coerce Azerbaijan into abandoning its own foreign policy course, analysts interviewed by "Caucasian Knot" stated.

Russian President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov commented today on the statements made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev the day before at the opening of the IV Shusha Global Media Forum. According to Peskov, the Russian side considers Azerbaijan's support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and internationally recognized borders of Ukraine to be "erroneous".

"We will consistently and argumentatively explain through all channels why we consider it erroneous (...) This is a position with which we categorically disagree. And yes, this is a subject of our disagreements," Peskov's words are quoted by "Interfax".

At the same time, Putin's press secretary added that "this issue" should not "cast any shadow on bilateral Russian-Azerbaijani relations". "Here we adhere to a pragmatic approach, and we believe that we should develop our relations in every way, especially with a country like Azerbaijan," he said.

At the opening of the media forum in Shusha on July 13, Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan would continue to support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. He also called for an end to hostilities on Ukrainian territory.

"I think it has long been time to understand that this war must be stopped, and stopped immediately. This is Azerbaijan's position, this is my position, purely human," the president of Azertaj is quoted as saying.

Aliyev reminded the Russian political scientist about the fate of foreign agent Markov*

On July 13, expert of the Russian Council for International Affairs, political scientist Alexey Naumov, asked Ilham Aliyev about the state of relations between Baku and Moscow. The President of Azerbaijan called the crisis in relations between the two countries exhausted.

"It is gratifying that it has been officially announced that the crisis is exhausted - this was said by both President Putin and now President Aliyev. Interaction is ongoing both through ministries, trade, and the administrations of the presidents - this is undoubtedly good for our countries," the political scientist wrote in his Telegram channel "Alexey Naumov. Foreign Policy".

In his post, Naumov did not mention the ironic remarks of the president that accompanied this response. Ilham Aliyev reminded that a too complimentary question to the President of Azerbaijan could turn into problems for the questioner in Russia.

As an example, he cited the dismissal of former first deputy director of TASS Mikhail Gusman, who was present in the hall: Aliyev jokingly called him one of the "victims," notes Minval Politika.

He then laughed as he recalled that in the midst of the diplomatic crisis between Moscow and Baku, political scientist Sergey Markov* was declared a foreign agent - also after a "positive comment" at last year's forum in Shusha.

"But today I do not see him. Maybe he has already been arrested. God forbid, of course, I wish him health. So Alexey, be careful," concluded the President of Azerbaijan, addressing Naumov.

"Caucasian Knot" reported that against the backdrop of the deterioration of Russian-Azerbaijani relations in July 2025, some Z-bloggers called for declaring pro-Kremlin political scientist Sergey Markov* a foreign agent, who praised Ilham Aliyev before Azerbaijani journalists during the III Shusha Global Media Forum. Markov* in response reminded that he has been a supporter of Putin for all 26 years. In August, the Ministry of Justice included Markov* in the register of foreign agents, and the United Russia party removed his page from the official website.

* included in the Russian register of foreign agents.

** the activities of the Meta company (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.