Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that Russian leader Vladimir Putin went to Baku, allegedly demonstrating diplomatic activity, trying to divert attention from the “uncomfortable situation” in the Kursk region, Hromadske reports.
According to the ISW report, Putin arrived in Baku on August 18 with a Russian delegation that included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
According to the Kremlin, during the visit they discussed the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. It is known that Putin discussed the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia with President Ilham Aliyev.
The timing of this visit is noteworthy, given the situation in the Kursk region and the Kremlin’s ongoing efforts to downplay the scale of the Ukrainian invasion, – analysts say.
The analysts also believe that Russian state media focused on Putin’s trip to Azerbaijan, probably to divert attention from the uncomfortable situation in Russia. Now they are filling the information space with news about possible diplomatic successes of the Kremlin.
The ISW concluded that the Kremlin’s reaction to Ukraine’s invasion of Kursk region underscored that the Kremlin’s domestic priorities are increasingly focused on regime stability.
