Despite earlier rumors, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will not pay a visit to Armenia or Azerbaijan in the near future, the Armenian news outlet Radar Armenia wrote on March 1.
Local media reported in late February that Zelensky may visit the two countries in the South Caucasus "in the coming days."
Radar Armenia alleged that the trip to neither country is taking place as Baku canceled Zelensky's visit.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims, while officials of the three countries have not publicly confirmed the supposed plans for the visit.
Once a long-time ally of Russia, especially vis-a-vis its primary regional foe Azerbaijan, Armenia has largely refrained from getting involved in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
The calculus changed after Russian "peacekeepers" failed to prevent Azerbaijan's offensive into the Nagorno-Karabakh region, primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, in September 2023.
Zelensky met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for the first time in October 2023 during his visit to Spain for the European Political Community Summit in Granada. The two discussed the security situation in the South Caucasus, bilateral cooperation, and interregional economic projects, Zelensky said at the time.
Kyiv has also maintained good relations with Azerbaijan through out the all-out war. Baku has provided humanitarian and economic aid and assisted in Ukraine's reconstruction efforts, namely in the energy sector.
Francis Farrell
