Deception at Play: Zakharova on the EU Mission in Armenia

The European Union is doing everything possible to push Russia out of the region and weaken its historical role as the main guarantor of security. This was stated by Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting on the launch of the EU civilian monitoring mission in Armenia's border regions.

“By emphasizing the exclusively civilian nature of the new mission, EU representatives are being deceptive. It unfolds in the context of the EU's common policy in the areas of security and defense. Therefore, it deserves to be treated accordingly. Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have recorded the EU and the West's desire to strengthen their position in our ally Armenia by any means,” Zakharova noted in her comments, published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website.

She pointed out that the Russian Foreign Ministry sees exclusively geopolitical subtext in these attempts, which are far from the interests of real conflict resolution in the South Caucasus. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the negative public assessment of this initiative by Baku is being ignored. Moreover, according to the Russian diplomat, the EU's experience in mediating various regional conflicts is by no means unambiguous, and it is unlikely that Brussels can boast about its successes in this field.

The Russian Foreign Ministry is convinced that the key factor for stability and security in the region continues to be the agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in the foreseeable future. It was previously reported that the European Union began its civilian mission in Armenia on February 20. The EU has stated that it is intended to contribute to the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan.