Relations between Ukraine and Azerbaijan have deep historical roots -President of Ukraine

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed a letter of congratulation to President of the Republic of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on the occasion of the National Holiday of the country, APA reports.

The letter of congratulation reads:

“Dear Mr. President,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my most sincere congratulations to you and through you, your entire people on the occasion of the national holiday of Ukraine – the Independence Day.

The current high level of relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine stems from the historical traditions of close friendship and mutual respect between our peoples. It is gratifying that thanks to our joint efforts, our interstate relations, which stem from this will and are built on solid foundations, have developed dynamically and reached a new stage. I believe that Azerbaijan-Ukraine relations will continue to develop in accordance with the goals and objectives reflected in the Joint Declaration we signed during my visit to Ukraine in January of last year.

I recall our meeting in Chisinau this June, our exchange of views on Azerbaijan-Ukraine bilateral relations with fond memories.

Guided by the UN Charter, the norms and principles of international law, Azerbaijan respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine. We always keep the issues of humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine in the spotlight, and express our readiness to continue to provide the necessary assistance.

I am confident that we will consistently continue our joint efforts to expand friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine and strengthen our mutually beneficial cooperation in line with the interests of our peoples.

On this festive day, I extend my best regards to you, and wish the friendly people of Ukraine peace and tranquility”.

The biggest drone attack on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine has prompted Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov to deliver an on-air tirade about what he believes is necessary for Moscow to win the war it started.

Several Russian regions were targeted in a large-scale drone attack on Wednesday night. Aircraft—including Ilyushin IL-76s—were destroyed or damaged at an airfield in Pskov, 450 miles from Ukraine, in what signaled a serious military failure by Moscow. Russian authorities have blamed Ukraine for the attacks, although Kyiv has not claimed responsibility.

On Vladimir Solovyov’s radio show Polniy Kontakt (Full Contact), the ally of Vladimir Putin criticized the images and information that regional governors shared on social media about the aftermath of the strikes.

“Stop pretending to be bloggers,” he said at the start of the 11-minute clip, shared by Russia watcher and journalist Julia Davis, during which his voice veered from confessional whisper to full-throttled fire-and-brimstone sermon. “Why are you posting photos?”

Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov has reacted angrily to the drone attacks on Russian regions on August 30, 2023. On his radio show Full Contact, he reiterated his calls for nuclear weapons to be used. Getty Images

Wearing a red USSR tracksuit top slightly zipped down while a trophy for his broadcasting efforts sat to his right, Solovyov continued by asking how such a “powerful” attack in which the “very bad” losses of Russian aircraft was possible.

Answering his own question, Solovyov surmised that NATO aerospace intelligence had helped with reconnaissance that Russia was not taking seriously enough, concluding that such forces “must be destroyed.”

He dismissed claims that Russia’s air defenses could chase the drones away and rejected concerns that an escalation of Moscow’s efforts would lead to a direct confrontation with the alliance, with which he has repeatedly said Moscow is fighting a proxy war.

“If we are going to wage war, we should wage war,” he said, before mocking the criticism of comments made on his show by Andrey Gurulyov, a Russian parliament member and former military commander, that the area around Robotyne that Ukraine has liberated is “the perfect case for a tactical nuclear strike.”

Solovyov called such critics “sniveling wimps,” adding “get ready and head for the front! Show how you can do it without nuclear weapons.”

Solovyov then seemed to broaden his nuclear threat from tactical to strategic as he noted Pskov’s proximity to NATO countries Estonia and Latvia. He said that if the drones had been launched from the Baltic states “then erase them from the face of the Earth.”

“If the strike was launched from a NATO country this is NATO’s declaration of war against Russia,” he said, “that means in response, nuclear weapons should be immediately used.” Estonia has said that it was not behind the drone attack.

Newsweek has contacted NATO by email for comment.

Since the start of the war, Solovyov and guests on his evening TV show have repeatedly invoked Russia’s nuclear capabilities, calling for strikes on countries that are supporting Kyiv and sometimes, for their use on the battlefield. While there has been a nuclear threat hanging over the war, the received wisdom from experts that such a move is unlikely at the moment.