Azerbaijani President Aliyev declined the invitation to attend the Moscow parade.
Azerbaijan's Prez Bails on Putin's Victory Parade for Domestic Obligations
It's official — Azerbaijan's Prez, Ilham Aliyev, won't be joining Russia's Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9, 2025. The news comes from Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov, who pointed to Aliyev's domestic duties as the reason for his absence[1][3][5]. Aliyev needs to attend national events honoring his father, Heydar Aliyev, on May 10[1][3].
Initially, Aliyev was set to meet with Putin for the first time since the December 2024 incident involving an Azerbaijani passenger plane that was shot down by Russian air defense systems[2]. The flight was heading from Baku to Grozny. Azerbaijan accused Russia of trying to dodge responsibility, but Putin refused to admit guilt[2].
Sadly, this isn't the first strain we've seen in their relationship. Previous tension includes Azerbaijan shuttering a Russian cultural organization and labeling a Russian State Duma deputy as persona non grata in 2025[3]. Furthermore, other world leaders, including Laos' Prez, have reportedly skipped the parade due to conflicting commitments[1][5].
Sources:*
[1] RIA "Novosti"[2] CNN[3] Al Jazeera[4] The Guardian*[5] Reuters
- Despite the scheduled meeting during the upcoming victory parade, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan is supposed to miss Russian President Vladimir Putin's event due to domestic obligations, as he needs to attend national events honoring his father, Heydar Aliyev, on May 10.
- The supposed absence of President Aliyev highlights the recent strain in their relations, a matter that stretches beyond the incident involving an Azerbaijani passenger plane crash and Russian air defense systems in December 2024.
- Previous politics-related conflicts between the two countries include Azerbaijan shuttering Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian cultural organization, and labeling a Russian State Duma deputy as persona non grata in 2025.
- General news reports indicate that other world leaders, including Laos' President, have also skipped the victory parade due to war-and-conflicts-related reasons and conflicting commitments alongside President Ilham Aliyev.
