DID Press: Geopolitical tensions in the South Caucasus have reached a new peak. According to media reports, Russia has recently targeted several Azerbaijani oil pipelines and storage facilities — an act observers view as a direct Kremlin response to a secret agreement between President Ilham Aliyev and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Under the reported deal, Baku would act as a middleman for selling Russian oil and gas to Europe, rebranding the resources as Azerbaijani exports. This arrangement, which apparently secured Moscow’s temporary consent during the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces, now appears to have unraveled amid shifting developments.
The potential accession of Azerbaijan and Armenia to NATO, along with the deployment of alliance forces near Russia’s borders, has raised alarm bells in Moscow. Analysts say the recent strikes signal that the dispute is entering a more dangerous phase.
Meanwhile, the arrest of citizens from both countries and an escalation in political rhetoric have further clouded the outlook for Moscow–Baku relations