Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev today, in his speech marking Victory Day, warned Armenia to abandon what he describes as “its policy of armament.”

Aliyev, during an address at the inauguration of Victory Park in Baku dedicated to Azerbaijan’s victory in the 2020 Artsakh War, accused Armenia of rearming itself and criticized unnamed Western countries of “inciting Armenia to a new war.”

“However, when we see that Armenia and the forces behind it, who view Azerbaijan as an enemy and have declared a cold war on us, are arming Armenia, and Armenia is arming itself, we are forced to take the necessary steps,” Aliyev said according to the Azerbaijan State News Agency (Azertac).

Armenia, of late, has reinforced its military by purchasing weapons from international partners, including France and India, claiming they are solely defensive in nature.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are currently negotiating a peace deal even though Azerbaijan continues to occupy at least 215 square kilometers (83 sq mi) of internationally recognized Armenian territory and refers to Armenia as “Western Azerbaijan”.

“If anyone wants to test our strength again, they will be defeated once more, and once again they will be humiliated,” said Aliyev, while claiming that Baku doesn’t want a new war.