Azerbaijan-US cooperation rises as EU struggles in Ukraine and S Caucasus |
In recent months, Azerbaijan’s foreign policy has quietly demonstrated an increasing alignment with the United States, a development that carries subtle but significant implications for the broader geopolitical landscape. The exchange of letters between US President Donald Trump and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stands as a symbolic testament to mutual respect and shared values between the two leaders. Beyond mere formalities, these correspondences reflect a deeper rapport anchored in traditional and family-oriented values, underscoring a personal dimension often overlooked in the analysis of international relations.
This growing US–Azerbaijan affinity must be contextualized within a broader framework of global diplomacy. The recently adopted US National Security Strategy and President Trump’s public remarks indicate a notable skepticism towards the European Union’s effectiveness in crisis management. There is a growing perception that the EU, despite its economic clout, often struggles to present a unified stance on critical international issues. This critique, while not entirely novel, gains weight when one examines the European response to ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine.
Indeed, the European Union’s handling of the Ukraine crisis has often been marked by hesitation and fragmentation. Divergent national priorities and the inability to formulate a cohesive strategy have hindered efforts to accelerate peace negotiations and provide Kyiv with the decisive support required to strengthen its defense capabilities. As a result, Ukrainian citizens continue to bear the human cost of these institutional shortcomings, illustrating a gap between diplomatic rhetoric and actionable results. In contrast, US-led initiatives in the region........