Russia Deliberately Provoked Recent Clashes Between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Macron Accuses Moscow

French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Russia of deliberately provoking the recent clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to destabilize the situation in the Caucasus region and beyond, as reported by Reuters. The agency notes that the most terrifying battles between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 2020 took place in September, resulting in over 200 casualties.

In an interview with France 2 television, Macron stated that Moscow has escalated tensions in favor of Azerbaijan in recent months. “What has been happening at the border over the last two years... There are supposedly 5,000 Russian soldiers there to guarantee the border, but the Russians have exploited this centuries-old conflict, playing Azerbaijan's game with the complicity of Turkey, and returned to weaken Armenia, which had been their ally for so long. Do you see what is happening? This is a destabilization attempt by Russia; they want to create disorder in the Caucasus to destabilize us all,” Macron said.

Last week, Macron met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and European Council President Charles Michel in Prague, where it was decided to send an EU civilian mission to the countries’ borders to assess the situation.