Putin apologizes to Azerbaijan over ‘tragic’ plane crash, but stops short of taking responsibility
NBCDEC 27 2024
Putin Makes Second Call to Azerbaijan's Aliyev Over Downed Passenger Jet
Above: In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's Pres. Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Russia's Emergency Situations Minister at the Kremlin in Moscow on December 27, 2024. Image copyright: Alexander Kazakov/Contributor/Pool/Sputnik/via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
After days of incoherent explanations and trying to silence what happened, Azerbaijan made clear that Russia must apologize and admit its guilt, prosecute those criminally responsible and pay compensation for the injured. Russia has made good on its first promise, but the other conditions remain.
Pro-Russia narrative
After promising to stay in contact following their first phone call, Putin and Aliyev have carried on their conversation about various issues related to the Azerbaijan Airlines crash.