Some in Russia still unable to accept Azerbaijan's victory in Karabakh

On May 6, another anti-Azerbaijani provocation unfolded on Russian state television. During the broadcast of the program Time Will Tell on Russia's Channel One, viewers were shown a distorted map of the Republic of Azerbaijan featuring the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh" as a separate entity - an administrative fiction abolished five years ago and inseparably tied to decades of occupation, separatism, and historical injustice against Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry responded swiftly and firmly. In matters concerning the country's territorial integrity, Baku leaves no room for diplomatic ambiguity. Azerbaijan demanded official explanations from Moscow and called for concrete measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"The display on May 6 during the Time Will Tell program on Russia's state-run Channel One of a distorted map of the Republic of Azerbaijan featuring the so-called ‘Nagorno-Karabakh' constitutes a serious provocation and an unacceptable political manipulation," the ministry stated.

"The dissemination of outdated, false, and separatism-promoting narratives on a Russian state television channel contradicts the spirit of Azerbaijani-Russian relations, as well as the principles of mutual respect and good neighborliness, especially considering Russia's repeated statements affirming its unequivocal respect for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty," the statement added.

It is noteworthy that at all political levels, including the highest leadership, Russia officially and unequivocally recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. However, there is an increasing impression that either this position is not entirely sincere, or not everyone within the Russian political establishment adheres to the official line. We have repeatedly witnessed statements by lawmakers, party representatives, and public figures questioning the outcome of the Second Karabakh War and attempting, at least rhetorically, to create the illusion that the situation could somehow be rolled back to the status quo that existed before September 2020.

Moreover, even during the 2020–2023 period, events aimed at preventing Azerbaijan from establishing full control over Karabakh were periodically held in the territories where Russian peacekeepers were stationed - often with their participation. These included celebrations featuring separatist symbols, the unveiling of monuments to Armenian terrorists, attempts to establish the Ruben Vardanyan regime in areas controlled by the Russian peacekeeping contingent, and more.

But that is now history. Despite enormous pressure from the international community, Azerbaijan, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, successfully combined diplomatic and military measures to fully restore sovereignty over Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. The de facto peace established between Azerbaijan and Armenia in August last year with the involvement of the United States and personally by Donald Trump has already become a reality and is widely welcomed by the international community. We are now witnessing the first steps toward trade cooperation, while contacts between the two peoples are being established through civil society initiatives such as the Bridge of Peace.

At such a moment, the appearance of a distorted map of Azerbaijan on a Russian state television channel can hardly be dismissed as a mere technical error. Most likely, certain representatives of Moscow's political elites are once again attempting to use the long-discredited "Karabakh card" for their own purposes. The active phase of Armenia's parliamentary election campaign may also be playing a role here, as the main rivals of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are precisely the pro-Russian forces led by Samvel Karapetyan and Robert Kocharyan.

Armenia's pro-Russian opposition actively employs revanchist rhetoric, opposing the regional peace agenda and accusing Pashinyan of pursuing a defeatist policy. And the Kremlin has made little effort to hide the fact that it is placing its bets on precisely these political forces.

If Moscow believes that advancing its own political interests in Armenia can come at Azerbaijan's expense, or that such attempts will go unnoticed in Baku, it is gravely mistaken. Broadcasting a map featuring the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh" directly contradicts the Declaration on Allied Interaction between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. Moreover, relations between Baku and Moscow had only recently begun recovering from the difficult situation caused by the downing of the AZAL aircraft over Grozny. Under such circumstances, this provocation by Channel One - regardless of the motives behind it - clearly does not contribute to restoring trust between the two sides.

It cannot be ruled out that Moscow chose this method to express dissatisfaction over the absence of Azerbaijan's president from the May 9 Victory Day parade. However, judging by the published guest list, the parade in Moscow will effectively be attended only by leaders of separatist entities unrecognized by the international community. Could it be that Channel One was trying to please precisely them?

And in order to honor the memory of the more than 300,000 sons and daughters of the Azerbaijani people who gave their lives fighting the scourge of fascism, there is no need to travel to Moscow. Every year, commemorative events and meetings with World War II veterans are held throughout Azerbaijan, including at the highest state level.

Whatever motives stood behind this latest attack by Channel One against Azerbaijan, one thing remains beyond doubt: when it comes to defending its national interests and sovereignty, Baku will not retreat by even a single step.