The Azerbaijani foreign ministry has sent a formal note to Moscow, demanding the closure of the Russian Information and Cultural Centre (known as "Russian House") in Baku.

Azerbaijan’s increasingly assertive stance on Russian matters marks a shift from its previous balancing act between Moscow and the West. The demand to shut down Russian House — an institution commonly associated with Russia’s soft power efforts — reflects growing discomfort with Russian influence.

According to Russia’s state-run Vesti.ru, the head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Yevgeny Primakov, confirmed that Russia has repeatedly requested legal registration for the centre but has received no response from Baku. Azerbaijani foreign ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizade acknowledged the issue, stating that the centre does not have legal status and is in violation of national regulations. As a result, Azerbaijan formally requested Russia to cease its operations.

In a separate but related development, a group of Azerbaijani NGOs has called on the United States and the European Union to impose stricter sanctions on Armenia for allegedly helping Russia circumvent international restrictions related to the war in Ukraine.

The appeal to the US and EU to crack down on Armenia’s trade with Russia further signals Azerbaijan’s willingness to align itself more closely with American policies.

According to APA News, the open letter was addressed to US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, acting Commerce Secretary Jeremy Pelter and Attorney General Pamela Bondi. It was also sent to European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. The letter expresses deep concerns over Armenia’s role in allegedly facilitating Russia’s evasion of sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine war.

The NGOs pointed out that despite having a relatively small foreign trade volume, Armenia’s trade with Russia has seen an abnormal spike since 2022, when the war in Ukraine began. The trade volume between the two countries reportedly surged from $2.5bn in 2021 to approximately $12bn in 2024 — a nearly 400% increase.

They claim that Armenia’s exports to Russia include high-tech goods such as semiconductors, smartphones, and communications devices, none of which are produced domestically. This suggests that Armenia is serving as an intermediary for sanctioned goods that could be used in Russia’s military operations.

The letter calls on the US and EU to: Increase scrutiny over Armenia’s trade activities, ensuring transparency and preventing illegal transactions; Strengthen sanctions enforcement, potentially targeting Armenia with trade restrictions for allegedly facilitating Russia’s sanctions evasion; and, apply diplomatic pressure to push Armenia to halt any involvement in aiding Russia’s military efforts.

The closure and sanctions demand follows recent diplomatic escalations between Azerbaijan and Russia. On January 28, Russian Ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov was summoned to Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry in protest against what Baku called "disinformation campaigns" in Russian media regarding the December 25 crash of an AZAL passenger plane. Azerbaijani officials expressed concerns that Russian state-controlled outlets were attempting to deflect responsibility for the incident.

A day earlier, on January 27, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Russia, Rahman Mustafayev, was called to the Russian foreign ministry, where Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin expressed Moscow’s "surprise" over what he described as "anti-Russian sentiment in Azerbaijani media". 

The diplomatic row follows the publication of Kazakhstan’s preliminary report on the December 25 crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet in Aktau, which suggests that the aircraft sustained external damage while flying over Russian airspace. While Azerbaijan has hinted at possible military involvement, Russia has yet to acknowledge responsibility.

Moscow has attempted to downplay allegations of foul play, but Azerbaijani officials are pressing for full accountability, including compensation for victims. Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initial condolence call to President Ilham Aliyev, Baku remains unsatisfied with Russia’s refusal to accept blame.

With tensions mounting, Moscow may seek leverage in ongoing regional disputes, including the unresolved normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Whether Azerbaijan follows through on closing Russian institutions and intensifies its lobbying against Armenia remains to be seen, but the latest developments suggest a hardening of Baku’s approach toward Russia amid a deteriorating relationship.