BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 18. A question from Azerbaijani journalists left French President Emmanuel Macron in an awkward spot.
When asked why France continues to supply arms to Armenia, the French "leader" mumbled something akin to "if you want peace, prepare for war". It’s unclear, though, who besides Azerbaijan wants peace in the region.
Realizing he was in a foolish position, Macron began accusing Baku of starting the "horrible war" in 2020. Someone from the audience pointed out that Azerbaijan was reclaiming its sovereign territory. Flustered, Macron seemed to forget that France was among those who voted for UN resolutions clearly stating this fact.
His clumsy attempts to joke, saying "this is not a debate, but a press conference," were of course appreciated by the compliant French journalists. But it didn't save him. "We support a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia," Macron added at the end. However, so far, Paris has done nothing but undermine efforts to establish peace - as Macron clearly showed today.