President Joe Biden told Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin the US stood by its “unwavering” support for Ukraine in defending its territory against a build-up by Russian troops, as tension between the superpowers skyrockets.

Though officials cite their reasoning based on reducing greenhouse emissions - and Azerbaijan is a signatory to the Paris accords - a slow but gradual decline in oil and gas export revenues makes the transition a necessity.  

Georgia's opposition leader Nika Melia, whose arrest earlier this year plunged a country already crippled by the economic consequences of COVID-19 into a political crisis, will continue to await a final verdict in custody.

Ukraine said on Monday that the Kremlin was not responding to its request from President Volodymyr Zelensky for talks on heightened tension along the neighbours’ border and suggested that Russia might be funnelling even more troops next to areas of the country held for seven years by separatists aligned with Moscow.

Western countries sought explanations from Russia on the buildup of its forces along the border with Ukraine after Moscow stayed away from a meeting hosted by the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting intended to ease tension in the area.

The assertiveness with which the government of President Ilham Aliyev is purging certain figures suggests a degree of post-war confidence that previous "untouchables" - once too thorny to confront on the backdrop of a war situation - are now fair game.