Yerevan /Mediamax/. Nikolay Silayev, a leading researcher at the Institute of International Studies at Russia’s MGIMO University, believes that the escalation in Russia-Azerbaijan relations is driven by several factors.

According to him, one key factor is that “the Azerbaijani leadership views itself as a winner and remains in a state of euphoria after establishing control over Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“The problem is that the sense of euphoria associated with this needs to be maintained. And the Azerbaijani authorities need new foreign policy successes.

The detentions of Russians in Azerbaijan are agreed with the desire to maintain confidence in their own invincibility. Since Russia is Azerbaijan’s most influential neighbor, such steps are aimed at demonstrating Baku’s foreign policy assertiveness to its domestic audience,” the Russian expert said in an interview with the Metro newspaper.