Zelenskyy proposes talks in Azerbaijan
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on April 25 that Kyiv is ready for near-term trilateral talks in Azerbaijan with Russia and the United States after meeting President Ilham Aliyev in Gabala. - Zelenskyy paired the proposal with a first wartime visit to Azerbaijan, six signed bilateral documents, 11 Azerbaijani energy aid packages for Ukraine, and talks on defense co-production, trade, and humanitarian support. - The offer came as Russian strikes killed at least five people in Dnipro and damaged Odesa port infrastructure, underscoring that diplomacy is reopening amid continued attacks. (dw.com)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to hold near-term trilateral talks in Azerbaijan with Russia and the United States. (president.gov.ua) He made the proposal on April 25 in Gabala after talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, during Zelenskyy’s first visit to Azerbaijan since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. (president.gov.ua) (euronews.com) Zelenskyy said Ukraine had already used similar formats in Türkiye and Switzerland and would go to Azerbaijan “in the near future” if Russia was “ready for diplomacy.” (president.gov.ua 1) (president.gov.ua 2) The Azerbaijan stop was not only about diplomacy. Ukraine and Azerbaijan signed six bilateral documents, and Zelenskyy said the package covered security, energy and other areas. (president.gov.ua 1) (president.gov.ua 2) Both sides also pointed to defense-industrial cooperation. Zelenskyy said security and co-production were the priority, while Aliyev said military-technical cooperation and joint production had “significant prospects.” (president.gov.ua) (president.az) Aliyev said bilateral trade had exceeded $500 million, and Zelenskyy thanked Azerbaijan for 11 energy assistance packages sent during the war. The two leaders also said Azerbaijan has hosted more than 500 Ukrainian children from frontline regions. (president.az) (president.gov.ua) The outreach landed against a violent backdrop. Deutsche Welle, citing local officials and Reuters reporting, said Russian drone and missile strikes killed at least five people in Dnipro, wounded more than 30 there, killed one person in Zaporizhzhia and damaged homes and port infrastructure in Odesa. (dw.com) Euronews reported that the Kremlin had been rejecting a leaders’ meeting anywhere except Moscow, while Kyiv says Zelenskyy is prepared to meet Vladimir Putin in any country except Russia or Belarus. (euronews.com) For now, the concrete move is Ukraine’s offer: Baku as a possible venue, Aliyev as a potential intermediary, and talks that Zelenskyy says can happen if Moscow agrees to show up. (president.gov.ua) (president.az)
