The South Caucasus is an arena of confrontation with Russia for the European Union, Moscow sees what pressure the countries of the region are under, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated, RIA Novosti reports. "For them, the South Caucasus is an arena of confrontation with the Russian Federation. We see what kind of pressure methods they subject to the countries that announce that they will join the European Union or become a candidate for membership. They are required to give up their independence even before their official membership in the European Union," said Grushko. He emphasized that the EU, as a fundamental condition, obligatorily requires the countries to join the common foreign policy and security sector policy, joining all the statements they make. "And they make 80% of those statements about Russia. Therefore, it is simply impossible not to see the risks," the deputy minister emphasized.