11 April 2025

Azerbaijan’s Position on Supporting Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity — Statement by President Ilham Aliyev

During an in-depth interview with President Ilham Aliyev, held as part of the international Crimea Global conference, expert Omar Ashur discussed Azerbaijan’s position on Russia’s war against Ukraine and possible pathways to its resolution. President Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, emphasizing the importance of sovereignty and international law as fundamental principles for ensuring stability not only in Europe but globally.

“We have always supported, continue to support, and will support Ukraine’s territorial integrity. As a country that has itself experienced occupation and violations of our territorial integrity, we fully understand the situation,” President Ilham Aliyev stated.

“No country, at least in my understanding, would agree to compromise on its territorial integrity, and expecting Ukraine to give up its internationally recognized territory for the sake of peace is both unfair and unrealistic. I believe this is unjust and unrealistic, because saying the right things — like ‘let’s end the war’ — is one thing, but it’s quite another to dig deeper into the substance and perhaps ask those who have recently experienced war what conditions are necessary to achieve lasting peace,” he added.

Ilham Aliyev also emphasized that a ceasefire does not guarantee lasting peace — it merely provides a temporary opportunity for forces to regroup, potentially leading to renewed escalations. In this regard, the President of Azerbaijan underscored the need to achieve not just a cessation of hostilities, but a resolution to the conflict that does not involve any concessions by Ukraine concerning its territorial integrity.

We express our sincere gratitude to Azerbaijan for its unwavering and steadfast support for Ukraine and for its commitment to the principles of international law.