A Number of Companies Will Accompany France's Ministry of Defense to Armenia: Politico

Politico has published an article discussing the upcoming visit of the French Minister of Defense to Armenia.

“Russia has directly threatened French aircraft in the Black Sea,” French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Thursday. “A month ago, the Russian air defense system threatened to shoot down a French aircraft in the Black Sea, even though we were in an internationally free zone where we patrol,” the minister told French RTL radio.

Lecornu's remarks come against the backdrop of growing pessimism regarding the outcomes of the two-year war in Ukraine. However, European governments insist that Russian President Vladimir Putin still holds no advantage. “Moscow’s more aggressive stance is explained by the fact that Russia is facing difficulties on the battlefield in Ukraine,” Lecornu stated.

“This is as old as the Cold War, but we see a return of Russia’s particular aggressive posture,” he added, noting that Moscow is “playing with borders.”

“The presence of the Russian warship in the Bay de Seine territorial waters in the north of France is intended to ‘intimidate’ France,” the minister said.

The French minister is set to visit Armenia on Thursday, marking the first such visit by France’s Minister of Armed Forces and indicating a deepening of defense ties with Armenia. Armenia is distancing itself from its historical ties with Moscow, while Paris is seeking to increase its influence with Russia's former allies, including Moldova and Central Asian countries.

A delegation accompanying Lecornu to Armenia includes defense industry companies such as MBDA, Nexter, Safran, Thales, and Arquus.