Russia sharply criticised on Thursday a decision by the European Union to establish a new civilian mission in Armenia, saying it would only further stoke "geopolitical confrontation" in a region plagued by tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The EU said the two-year mission, approved on Monday, would contribute to stability in border areas of Armenia and help ensure "an environment conducive to normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan".
Moscow is the main power broker in the South Caucasus and has long resented any meddling by outside powers in former Soviet republics, a zone it refers to as its "near-abroad". It deployed peacekeepers to the region in 2020 after a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, their second since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
