https://sputnikglobe.com/20250922/azerbaijan-checkmates-itself-by-souring-ties-with-russia-1122837069.htmlAzerbaijan Checkmates Itself by Souring Ties With RussiaAzerbaijan Checkmates Itself by Souring Ties With RussiaSputnik InternationalBy arming Ukraine via Sudan, Azerbaijan has edged into open confrontation with Russia, experts warn. 2025-09-22T17:24+00002025-09-22T17:24+00002025-09-22T17:24+0000analysisazerbaijanrussiaukrainenatohttps://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/09/16/1122836908_0:0:3502:1969_1920x0_80_0_0_f2f933f37d6e48a9f5f9ed27a90b950c.jpg"Azerbaijan has already entered into confrontation with Russia, and a local cold war is underway," Shota Apkhaidze, director of the Caucasus Center for Islamic Studies in Georgia, tells Sputnik.Azerbaijan's latest strategic move could mean escalation.Azerbaijan Shoots Itself in Foot"Damaging ties with Russia is sheer suicide," Apkhaidze warns.Azerbaijan's geopolitical position could be shaken:Unreliable NATO AlliesAzerbaijan’s tilt toward closer ties with Turkiye and NATO is clear, Dr. Marco Marsili of Ca’ Foscari University tells Sputnik.But Western backing is transactional and conditional, leaving Azerbaijan exposed to geopolitical risks.That path "would force Azerbaijan into a more rigid geopolitical camp, reducing its room for the multi-vector diplomacy it has skilfully employed for decades, with direct implications for its core strategic asset – energy security," Marsili stresses. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250922/azerbaijan-running-shadowy-arms-pipeline-to-ukraine-1122832586.htmlazerbaijanrussiaukraineSputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“ 252 602025Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“ 252 60Newsen_ENSputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“ 252 601920 1080 true1920 1440 true1920 1920 trueSputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“ 252 60Sputnik Internationalazerbaijan, ukraine, russia, why it's bad idea to arm ukraine