Calling Armenia ‘Russia’s Slave,’ Aliyev Says Armenian History is Fake

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on Friday called Armenia “undeveloped,” “dependent on Russia” and “Russia’s slave,” saying that Armenians need psychological assistance and that Armenian history was fake and fabricated. He also called Armenia’s former president Serzh Sarkisian a “war criminal.”

The Azerbaijani leader’s latest rant against Armenia took place while speaking to foreign reporters and experts before meeting with Toivo Klaar, the European Union’s Special Representative to the Caucasus, with whom he discussed normalization of relations with Armenia and talks regarding a so-called peace treaty.

Earlier on Friday, Aliyev announced that he would not meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on December 7 in Brussels, saying Armenia was attempting to thwart peace negotiations because Yerevan requested the presence of President Emmanuel Macron of France at the scheduled meeting.

Aliyev also told the foreign reports that he had warned Pashinyan after he became Armenia’s prime minister that Azerbaijan will not tolerate occupations. “We will destroy you,” Aliyev said he told Pashinyan, saying that was neither posturing or showmanship. “We simply knew what we are capable of and what Armenia can do,” the Azerbaijani leader said.