Putin–Aliyev meeting eases tensions, but strategic trust remains elusive

“The meeting between Putin and Aliyev, which lasted about an hour, will likely ‘melt’ some of the ice that has formed in Russian-Azerbaijani relations over the past few months.
However, it is too early to speak of a return to strategic partnership.
In reality, the tension between the two sides is much deeper than it may appear at first glance.
The plane crash incident merely reflected the distrust that had emerged after the establishment of the new status quo following the 44-day war.
The withdrawal of peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh, Baku’s active ties with Ankara and the West, and Moscow’s declining influence in the South Caucasus have all become components of a new political reality.
Today, Aliyev is pursuing a calculated, multi-vector policy, balancing the interests of Moscow, Ankara, and Washington.
For Putin, this meeting was necessary not so much for tangible results as for signaling — to demonstrate that Russia can still be an influential player in the region, even without its former leverage.
This meeting was more about conditional partnership than a strategic alliance.
Yes, the ice is melting — but the ‘coldness’ of distrust remains.”