Relying on France is dangerous illusion, expert says

Speaking with Alpha News, Russian military expert Ruslan Pukhov commented on the prospect of military cooperation between Armenia and France.

According to the expert, France cannot do anything for Armenia apart from two “tweets” by French President Emmanuel Macron.

“France cannot provide any security guarantees to Armenia. The fact that France, with its tail between its legs, is running away from Africa, where it has a centuries-old tradition of staying, is an indicator that France cannot do anything for Armenia apart from two ‘tweets’ on Macron’s Twitter. Relying on France is a very dangerous illusion. By and large, only two forces in the world can help Armenia with its problems. One is called Russia, and the second is America. America, hypothetically, could have helped Armenia more effectively, but it is far away and busy with other matters. Russia is nearby, so it’s extremely foolish to quarrel with Russia,” Pukhov said.

According to the expert, purchasing weapons is not a spherical cow but rather a complex system.

“As for French weapons, they are certainly interesting. But there are two points here. First, these weapons are extremely expensive; you can find much cheaper, more interesting alternatives. The second point is that you need to understand that a lot of effort will be required to master French weapons and supply them. The quality of both Armenian and Russian conscripts is insufficient to master these complex systems, for example, artillery or missile systems.

In addition to French weapons, it will also be necessary to import French teams. It is necessary to understand that purchasing weapons is not a spherical cow, but rather a complex system. And you shouldn’t treat the purchase of weapons like choosing diapers or tomatoes in a supermarket,” Pukhov noted.

“Russia, of course, has always wanted to see the Collective Security Treaty Organization as a structure that occupies a key place in the post-Soviet area, in Eurasia, for resolving security issues. But politics is the art of the possible. And if Russia is now overstraining in the West, it apparently does not have enough strength to act powerfully in all directions,” Pukhov concluded.