Russia and Azerbaijan, rich in gas, have used their natural resources to disguise their highly criticized policies. Both countries have launched military engagements against their neighbors filled with numerous war crimes, such as the targeting of journalists and executions of civilians and POWs alike.

Nevertheless, the ruling autocrats of Russia and Azerbaijan, Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev, respectively, have attempted to whitewash their crimes by bribing journalists while simultaneously persecuting them.

Where Russian “journalists” have taken part in fighting in Ukraine and incited genocide, Azerbaijan has attempted to bribe journalists to hide the cultural erasure of Armenian heritage in the Karabakh region.