Ukrainian analyst blasts Council of Europe for ignoring Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan

Ukrainian political analyst Taras Kuzio has publicly criticised the Council of Europe, accusing the organisation of applying double standards in its treatment of cases involving territorial aggression.

Taking to the social media platform X, Kuzio questioned the Council’s recent decision to establish its first-ever Tribunal to prosecute Russian aggression against Ukraine, while pointing out the absence of a similar move in the past concerning Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Caliber.Az reports.

“Today the Council of Europe set up its first Tribunal to criminally prosecute Russian aggression against Ukraine. Why, 34 years after the USSR disintegrated, is it the Council of Europe's first Tribunal?” Kuzio posted.

The analyst drew a parallel between the current occupation of roughly 20% of Ukraine by Russia and the occupation of around 20% of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognised territory by Armenia prior to the 2020 Second Karabakh War: "Armenia occupied 20% of Azerbaijan. Russia occupies 20% of Ukraine. Why did the Council of Europe not set up a Tribunal to prosecute Armenia for the crime of aggression against Azerbaijan?"

“Perhaps the Council of Europe has double standards?” he added, implying a politicised or selective approach in the Council’s response to violations of international law.

For the record, Armenia’s military occupied the Karabakh Region and seven surrounding districts of Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, resulting in the displacement of over 700,000 Azerbaijanis.

Despite the end of active hostilities in the 2020 Second Karabakh War—which saw Azerbaijan regain control over much of its previously occupied lands—and the successful anti-terror operation in September 2023 that fully restored Azerbaijan's sovereignty, Yerevan has yet to fully abandon the territorial claims embedded in its constitution and official discourse.

Armenia’s 1990 Declaration of Independence, which remains a constitutional reference, includes explicit claims over Karabakh, describing it as part of Armenia’s historical lands. This foundational document has long been viewed in Baku as a legal and political obstacle to a final peace agreement, despite recent diplomatic overtures. Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly stated that true normalisation of relations will only be possible if Armenia removes such irredentist provisions and accepts Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in practice—not just in words.

By Khagan Isayev