Zelensky visits Azerbaijan for security talks
- President Volodymyr Zelensky met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Gabala on April 25 for security, energy and humanitarian talks, signing six bilateral documents during Ukraine’s first presidential visit to Azerbaijan. - Zelensky said security and joint production were the priority, while Aliyev pointed to military-technical cooperation, trade above $500 million, and Azerbaijan’s 11 energy aid packages plus rehabilitation support for 500 children. - The trip opened as Zelensky said he was ready for trilateral talks with Russia in Azerbaijan, if Moscow agreed to diplomacy. (president.gov.ua)
Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Gabala on April 25 and signed six agreements with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev after talks on security, energy and humanitarian support. (president.gov.ua) (kyivindependent.com) The Ukrainian presidency said it was Zelensky’s first visit to Azerbaijan and the seventh meeting between the two leaders in more than four years. The talks covered defense cooperation, trade and continued energy assistance. (president.gov.ua) Zelensky said “security and joint production” were the immediate priorities, and Aliyev said the two sides had “serious cooperation” in military-technical fields. At a joint appearance, Aliyev said bilateral trade was already above $500 million. (president.gov.ua) (kyivindependent.com) Before meeting Aliyev, Zelensky also met a Ukrainian expert team working in Azerbaijan on air defense and critical-infrastructure protection. The Ukrainian presidency said the team is advising on protection against drones and other airborne threats. (president.gov.ua) That detail shows the visit was not limited to fuel and trade. Kyiv is using wartime experience with Russian drone and missile attacks as a form of security cooperation with partners beyond Europe. (president.gov.ua) (kyivindependent.com) Zelensky publicly thanked Azerbaijan for 11 packages of energy assistance and for hosting more than 500 Ukrainian children from frontline regions for rehabilitation. He also said Azerbaijani students continue to study in Ukraine. (president.gov.ua) The diplomacy also touched on war negotiations. Zelensky said Ukraine was ready for trilateral talks in Azerbaijan “in the near future” if Russia was prepared for diplomacy. (president.gov.ua) The backdrop is delicate for Baku. The Kyiv Independent noted that Azerbaijan has aided Ukraine during the war while also maintaining close ties with Russia, though those ties worsened after the December 2024 downing of an Azerbaijani airliner that killed 38 people. (kyivindependent.com) For Zelensky, the stop in Gabala extended a week of outreach beyond Ukraine’s usual European partners. The trip came one day after his April 24 visit to Saudi Arabia, where he also discussed security and energy cooperation. (kyivindependent.com) (president.gov.ua)
