Azerbaijan Strives for Neutrality in Ukraine's Crisis

Unlike its neighbors in the Caucasus, Georgia and Armenia, Azerbaijan has avoided siding with either Russia or the West as the crisis over Ukraine intensifies. In the government's most recent statement on March 4, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said the country wants dialogue and national unity over the situation in Ukraine. Azerbaijan has a long-standing strategy of avoiding entangling alliances and will continue to avoid tying itself to either Russia or the West. But given its strategic location and energy resources, Azerbaijan could have a harder time staying neutral and maintaining a diverse network of foreign relationships if the polarization in the region worsens.