Russia has accused France of stoking conflict in the South Caucasus after the country this weeksigned a deal to sell artillery systems to Armenia.Paris is provoking another round of armed confrontation in the South Caucasus, and they are doing it in different ways.
This [sale] is another step, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalistson Wednesday.Her comments echoed a statement from Azerbaijans Defense Ministry, which accused France of pursuing a policy of militarization and geopolitical intrigue in the region, and of preventing the normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku.[This] policy of revanchism by the Armenian leadership is a manifestation of political irresponsibility, opening the way to a new war, Azerbaijans statement read.Armenias purchase of the French-made CAESAR self-propelled howitzers on Tuesday signals its growing interest in strengthening security ties with the West amid growing tensions with its traditional ally Moscow.Yerevans relations with Russia have deteriorated since Russian peacekeepers failed to intervene during Azerbaijans offensive in the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh in 2023.