Story perspectives

Zelenskyy, Aliyev Sign $500 M Defense-Trade Deal, Offer Peace Talks

4/25/2026

Summary

Zelenskyy Pushes Peace Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is ready for trilateral peace talks with Russia if Russia engages in diplomacy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed six bilateral security and other sector documents in Gabala.
The leaders called the joint development of their defense industries a significant step.
Aliyev noted serious cooperation and discussed expanding bilateral trade over $500 million, including energy opportunities.

Summary

Aliyev Hosts Peace

President Ilham Aliyev hosted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Gabala, highlighting Azerbaijan’s role as a neutral diplomatic venue.
Azerbaijan has previously accommodated United States (U.S.) and Russian military officials in high-level talks, showing capacity to host opposing parties.
Its balanced foreign policy, including dialogue with Moscow and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, underpins its candidacy for peace negotiations.
Located at the Europe-Asia crossroads, Azerbaijan offers logistical advantages for multilateral summits.

History

Historical Context

In December 1994 Ukraine surrendered about 17 % of the Soviet nuclear arsenal and received security assurances from Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom in the Budapest Memorandum. Those guarantees derived from the Lisbon Protocol, signed 23 May 1992 and ratified 5 December 1994, which made the three states non-nuclear by 1996. Today Zelenskyy and Aliyev meet in Gabala, invoking the same diplomatic framework.

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Zelenskyy Pushes Peace Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is ready for trilateral peace talks with Russia if Russia engages in diplomacy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed six bilateral security and other sector documents in Gabala.
The leaders called the joint development of their defense industries a significant step.
Aliyev noted serious cooperation and discussed expanding bilateral trade over $500 million, including energy opportunities.

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