On April 17, Maria Zakharova, Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Russia is ready to restore diplomatic relations with Georgia and sharply criticized the roles of France and the European Union in the South Caucasus.

During her briefing, Zakharova emphasized that Moscow is prepared to reestablish ties with Tbilisi without preconditions and would proceed as far as the Georgian side is willing to go. She noted that Russia has already taken significant steps, such as resuming direct flights and introducing a visa-free regime for Georgian citizens, despite overcoming the "monstrous legacy" of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

In response to a question from an Azerbaijani journalist, Zakharova commented on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s call to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group. She stated that, with Armenia recognizing Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, the collapse of the Minsk Group in 2022, and changes on the ground, all structures associated with the Minsk Conference—such as the Minsk Group itself, the High-Level Planning Group, and the post of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s Personal Representative—have lost relevance. She urged Baku and Yerevan to jointly initiate the formal dissolution of these bodies and reiterated Russia’s willingness to provide a platform for Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations based on trilateral agreements from 2020 to 2022.

Zakharova further criticized France and the European Union, accusing them of deliberately escalating tensions in the region to pursue their geopolitical objectives. She claimed that Paris is attempting to impose its mediation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, exacerbating tensions and bearing significant responsibility for the collapse of the OSCE Minsk Group. According to her, EU observers in Armenia act as "monitor-spies," failing to share intelligence with Armenian authorities and instead relaying it to Brussels to support broader destabilization efforts across the post-Soviet space.

She warned that the EU seeks to entrench itself in the South Caucasus, undermining the role of regional actors and organizations while drawing Armenia into a hybrid conflict with illusory promises. In her words, France and the EU aim to "create new dividing lines, new hotbeds of tension, and new problems," which do not serve the interests of the Armenian people and will bring them no tangible benefits.

Zakharova reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to helping Azerbaijan and Armenia reconcile. She stated that Moscow remains ready to assist in all key areas, including border delimitation, humanitarian matters, and reopening transport and economic links. She highlighted progress achieved by the trilateral working group co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, and noted Russia's expertise in border demarcation and access to valuable cartographic materials.