Vladimir Putin’s strained body language at a Beijing military parade has raised fresh fears that the Russian president could be setting his sights on another neighbor.
The 72-year-old appeared reluctant to acknowledge Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, 63, as dignitaries gathered before the event, per the Mirror.
Only when another guest blocked his path did Putin offer a tense handshake. He then briefly greeted Azerbaijan’s first lady and vice president, Mehriban Aliyeva, 61, before moving quickly past them.
The parade marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II and showcased China’s most advanced weaponry, including a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, hypersonic missiles, and underwater drones.
Nearly two dozen world leaders attended, among them North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.
But while Putin smiled with Kim and Xi Jinping, images of his frosty exchange with Aliyev highlighted the deepening rift between Russia and Azerbaijan.
Rising hostility after deadly plane incident
Relations soured last Christmas when a Russian air defence unit fired on an Azerbaijan Airlines E190 over Chechnya. The aircraft crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, per The Sun.
Although Putin offered an apology, Aliyev was outraged that Moscow stopped short of formally taking responsibility. At the time, Aliyev said: “We know exactly what happened — and we can prove it.”
He also warned: “We do not want war… [but] we must be ready for war at any moment… if someone’s sick mind decides to commit a provocation against Azerbaijan, they will regret it.”
The fallout has since escalated. Russian authorities have arrested ethnic Azerbaijanis, with reports of brutal treatment, while Baku has detained Russian nationals, including employees of Kremlin-backed media outlets.
Pro-Kremlin commentators have openly hinted at military escalation. One military blogger remarked: “The Caspian may soon become another theatre of military operations.”
Propagandist Yury Podolyaka added that the war in Ukraine “may turn out not to be the last special military operation of our generation.”
Russian general and MP Andrey Gurulev has also suggested further conflict could emerge as Moscow loses influence in the Caucasus.
Putin strengthens ties with Kim Jong Un
Amid the diplomatic chill with Azerbaijan, Putin leaned into warmer alliances in Beijing. After the parade, he and Kim Jong Un travelled together from a formal reception, even sharing a car.
Opening their meeting, Putin praised North Korean soldiers who “courageously and heroically” fought alongside Moscow’s troops against Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region.
A photo that could reshape global power
While Putin’s movements with Aliyev sparked speculation, another image from the summit is drawing worldwide attention.
The photograph shows Putin, Xi Jinping, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a symbolic three-way handshake in Tianjin.
Analysts have described it as evidence of a growing coalition that could leave the U.S. and Europe isolated.
James Ball, political editor for The New World, wrote in iPaper that the image could be a “genuinely significant historical moment.” He added: “There is a new alliance here, and neither America nor Europe is in it.”
Ball also highlighted the “bitter irony” for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has long emphasized the importance of symbolic “Kodak moments.”
He wrote: “This week, there was finally a shot that might become a genuinely significant historical moment, so it must be all the more galling to Trump that he is not in it.”
Trump’s reaction and political fallout
Trump has faced criticism for policies that may have inadvertently pushed China, Russia, and India closer together.
His trade war with Beijing, fluctuating stance on Moscow, and sanctions against India for purchasing Russian oil have all contributed to shifting allegiances, according to Ball.
In his analysis, Ball argued that while Trump may not have planned to unite these world powers, “his actions appear to have done so.”
The former president also weighed in directly. On Truth Social, he posted: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you conspire against the United States of America.”