NATO's ultimate goal is to open second front against Russia in Transcaucasus

NATO plans to open a second front against Moscow in the Transcaucasus to "set the region on fire again," Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs said.

"NATO's ultimate goal is to open a second front against Russia in Transcaucasia and set the region on fire again," Maria Zakharova said.

The agreements that were reached through Russian mediation became a "red rag” for the West as it was a road to peace based on mutual respect for interests of the parties.

On March 15, it was reported that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made a series of visits to the Transcaucasian republics:

• on March 18, Stoltenberg visited Azerbaijan and Georgia;
• on March 19 he met with the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

During his visit to Georgia, Stoltenberg called on Tbilisi to do more to contain Russia. During a press conference with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Stoltenberg said that NATO contributed to attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet to limit Russia's navigation capabilities in the Black Sea.

Speaking to reporters in Armenia, Stoltenberg acknowledged that the difficult situation on the battlefield in Ukraine required increased military assistance from Western countries.

The Secretary General welcomed Armenia's solidarity with Ukraine and called on all NATO partners to do everything necessary not to let Russia win the Ukrainian conflict. According to him, if Putin wins, he will not stop, and all authoritarian leaders will be encouraged by his victory.

Kremlin official representative Dmitry Peskov said that the Transcaucasian republics had a sovereign right to maintain contacts with NATO.

"Of course, we are monitoring closely, but we intend to focus on our bilateral relations and cooperation leverage that our country has with the countries of the region (…) These contacts are a sovereign right of the states of the Caucasus," Peskov said adding that NATO's desire to expand its presence in the South Caucasus would not bring stability to the region.