Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday struck a note of gratitude and resolve, saying Kyiv hopes to deepen its “strategic partnership” with Azerbaijan—a relationship that has taken on fresh resonance as both nations navigate their own security challenges.
In a message shared on X, Zelenskyy thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his Independence Day congratulations, as well as for what he called Aliyev’s “respect for Ukraine and Ukrainians.” The Ukrainian leader underscored the long-standing understanding between Kyiv and Baku, rooted in a mutual insistence on sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Ukraine is thankful to friendly Azerbaijan,” Zelenskyy wrote, highlighting the humanitarian aid and other assistance Azerbaijan has offered since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. That support, while not as large as the backing Ukraine receives from Western allies, has carried symbolic weight in the region, where questions of borders, independence, and external influence remain highly charged.
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Aliyev, in his own message, pledged that Azerbaijan would continue sending humanitarian relief, calling Ukrainians “friendly people” in a nod to the countries’ shared history of post-Soviet independence struggles. His words echoed Baku’s careful balancing act: maintaining energy ties with Moscow while offering Kyiv diplomatic gestures and tangible support.
For Ukraine, the partnership provides another reminder that its fight is being watched not only in Europe and the United States but also across the wider post-Soviet space. For Azerbaijan, the relationship offers a chance to reinforce its own international standing while signaling solidarity on principles both leaders see as existential: sovereignty, survival, and the right to self-determination.