It is quite possible that Aliyev is playing his own game – Dmitry Rodionov

Speaking with Alpha News, Dmitry Rodionov, Director of the Institute of Geopolitical Studies’ Center for International Development, commented on the announcement of the UK and Azerbaijan’s strategic partnership.

“The question arises as to why this is happening now. It’s possible this move is intended to spite Trump, who seems to believe he has become the master of the region and can dictate its course. So London is demonstrating that this isn’t the case, that the region is in fact its zone of interest. This, of course, raises many questions for Azerbaijan, which, notably, has been actively courting Trump. It’s entirely possible that Aliyev is indeed playing his own game, trying to draw in as many extra-regional players as possible, clashing their interests and exploiting their contradictions, thus turning Azerbaijan into a serious regional player,” Rodionov said.

According to the expert, there are certain contradictions between Turkey and the United States, with Ankara firmly opposed to US interference in its sphere of influence.

“Of course, there are certain tensions between Turkey and the United States. Turkey absolutely doesn’t want the United States to interfere in its domain, and there are also certain tensions between the United States and Britain. And Aliyev is quite skillfully exploiting this—and he’s not the only one. Pashinyan, even before him, began doing the same, dragging the Americans and the French into it. So, of course, this doesn’t bode well. In the future, we’ll see Transcaucasia turn into what it was before it joined the Russian Empire,” Rodionov concluded.