Tensions Mount as Russian Ideologue Calls for Azerbaijani Assimilation and Military Service Amidst Worsening Bilateral Relations

Aleksandr Dugin

BAKU, Azerbaijan – 2 September 2025 – Renowned Russian philosopher and Kremlin propagandist, Aleksandr Dugin, has sparked controversy by urging migrants residing in Russia, including Azerbaijanis, to embrace Christianity and fight for Russia in Ukraine, or face expulsion. This comes as relations between Moscow and Baku continue to deteriorate, marked by strong rhetoric from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and accusations of a "massive information campaign" against Azerbaijan from Russian territory.

In a statement circulated on his "Telegram" channel, Dugin criticised the increase in migrants in Western countries, drawing parallels to a situation in England where "liberals have filled the country with massive migrants" leading to local discontent and the suppression of "nationalists". He then issued a stark ultimatum to migrants in Russia: "Whoever has come here, take off your chador, settle down, read our Christian saints, and if you are a man – go fight. The rest – get out".

Dugin further elaborated that assimilation is the only way out for migrants, including those he considers "toxic" such as Azerbaijanis, Tajiks, and Uzbeks. "An Orthodox Tajik, Azerbaijani, Uzbek – if he fights for Russia – is no longer a migrant, he is Russian. A true Russian. He who does not fight – get out," he declared. For Muslim women who wish to retain their religious beliefs, Dugin suggested a "solution": embroidering the "Z" symbol, a symbol of Russia's war in Ukraine, onto their hijabs. He also offered an alternative for those wanting to keep Islam, stating, "Fight alongside the heroic 'Akhmat' and you will be Russian Islam. Respect our traditions, and we will respect yours".

Azerbaijan's Milli Məclis (National Assembly) has responded with a strong statement, claiming that a "massive information campaign" against Azerbaijan is being conducted from Russian territory. This campaign, according to the Milli Məclis, began after President Ilham Aliyev's interview with Saudi Arabia's "Al-Arabiya" TV channel on 27 August, where he asserted that the Bolshevik army occupied Azerbaijan in 1920 and blamed Russia for the current strained relations. The Milli Məclis stated that Aliyev's historical remarks were taken out of context, falsified, or distorted to fuel anti-Azerbaijani propaganda in Russian society via television channels, news websites, social media, and radical individuals. They further added that "Z" bloggers are responsible for the "Russophobia" syndrome worrying Russia.

The relationship between Russia and Azerbaijan has been worsening since a plane crash on 25 December last year, which President Aliyev attributed to the Russian army. Tensions escalated in June of this year with raids and arrests targeting Azerbaijanis in Russia, and subsequently, Russian citizens in Azerbaijan. A raid in Yekaterinburg, Russia, resulted in the deaths of two Azerbaijanis, which Aliyev condemned as an "unprecedented act against our people". Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan would not tolerate aggression or disrespect, stating, "The responsibility for the deterioration of relations does not fall on us. We only respond constructively and legally, but we will never tolerate signs and manifestations of aggression or disrespect against us".

The broader context also includes the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, where Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeşkian met to discuss the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between their countries. President Aliyev also attended the SCO summit and, during his speech, reiterated his use of the term "Zangazur corridor" for a route connecting the main part of Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan, a term disputed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Pezeşkian and Putin had also discussed the South Caucasus region in a telephone conversation on 25 August.

The call for assimilation comes amidst an ongoing crackdown on migrants in Russia, which has seen rules tightened and raids conducted at workplaces following a concert hall attack in March last year that killed 145 people. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence reports that Russia has recruited over 3,000 migrants from Central Asia for the war since February 2022, with approximately 350 of them having died. Dugin himself previously suggested that labour migration should be reduced to zero, with robotics filling the labour resource gap.

This complex web of statements, political tensions, and military engagements underscores a volatile period in Russia's relations with its neighbouring states and ethnic communities within its borders.