Putin Looks to Reassert Influence in the Caucasus

It’s clear following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to Azerbaijan that he wants to remain a powerbroker in the Caucasus. Whether he has the means to do so, however, remains an open question. Putin’s August 18-19 trip to Baku occurred against a backdrop of the collapse in Russia’s strategic partnership with Armenia, the result of which has seen Yerevan enhance its political and security ties with the West, and an ongoing Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk region. Despite this, Putin maintained a…