Putin Makes Second Call to Azerbaijan's Aliyev Over Downed Passenger Jet
Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin on Sunday made his second phone call to Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in as many days over the passenger jet downed by Russia on Christmas Day, killing 38 of 67 on board.
Facts
- Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin on Sunday made his second phone call to Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in as many days over the passenger jet downed by Russia on Christmas Day, killing 38 of 67 on board.[1][2][3]
- In a call initiated by Putin on Saturday, the Russian leader apologized for the incident and "extended his deepest and most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the crash."[4][5]
- In an assessment that appears to be shared by the US, the Kremlin said that Russian air defense systems were firing near Grozny, the regional capital of the republic of Chechnya, during a Ukrainian drone attack on the region.[3][6]
- Following Putin's first call to Aliyev, the Azerbaijani leader later appeared on state television and said that he "clearly communicated our demands to the Russian side." The four conditions included a Russian apology and admission of guilt, criminally prosecuting those responsible, as well as compensation from Moscow to Baku.[7]
- "The first of them was fulfilled yesterday," Aliyev said. "I hope that the rest of our demands will also be met."[7]
- On Sunday, following Putin's second call to Aliyev, an Azerbaijani readout of the call said, "the heads of state continued their discussion on the issues related to the crash of the passenger plane owned by Azerbaijan Airlines Closed Joint Stock Company."[2]
Sources: [1]Ukrainska Pravda, [2]President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (a), [3]Associated Press (a), [4]TASS (a), [5]President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (b), [6]Associated Press (b) and [7]TASS (b).
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Associated Press. After days of incoherent explanations and trying to silence what happened, Azerbaijan made clear that Russia must apologize and admit its guilt, prosecute those criminally responsible and pay compensation for the injured. Russia has made good on its first promise, but the other conditions remain.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. After promising to stay in contact following their first phone call, Putin and Aliyev have carried on their conversation about various issues related to the Azerbaijan Airlines crash.
