Moscow Accuses Paris of Provoking Armed Confrontation in the South Caucasus

MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova once again accused France of provoking “another round of armed confrontation in the South Caucasus.”

She said at a press conference on Wednesday that the French leadership is not guided by Armenia’s interests.

“Paris seeks to use the existing disagreements, contradictions within countries or between countries as a tool to achieve exclusively its opportunistic goals,” Zakharova said.

According to her, it is not only about France’s personal interests, but also about France as a conduit of NATO ideology.

Zakharova’s new accusations came after Armenia signed a contract with France for the purchase of French-made CAESAR howitzers.

At a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Suren Papikian, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu described the agreement as a new important milestone in cooperation between the two countries, stressing the fact that defense cooperation has been strengthened.