Armenia suspends participation in Russian-led military alliance
- 24 February, 00:30
Armenia has suspended its participation in the Russian-led military alliance, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), amid the growing rift between Yerevan and Moscow.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview broadcast on Thursday that the CSTO, the military alliance of former Soviet republics, failed to fulfill its security obligations towards Armenia in 2021 and 2022."
"This couldn’t have gone without consequences. And the consequence is that in practice we have basically frozen our participation in the CSTO,” Pashinyan said while speaking to France. Pashinyan accused Russia of failing to defend Armenia in the war with neighbouring Azerbaijan.
The Russian-led military bloc comprises several former Soviet republics and stipulates that members of the security bloc are obliged to mutually defend each other against external threats or attacks. However, Yerevan has been increasingly resentful towards the bloc due to its failure to intervene in the conflict with Azerbaijan. Yerevan boycotted a CSTO summit last year for the bloc’s failing Armenia.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Friday it had not received official confirmation that Armenia was leaving the CSTO.
"We intend to contact our Armenian colleagues to clarify its statements on CSTO," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media.
It’s worth noting that Armenia is hosting thousands of Russian troops stationed and its borders are controlled by Moscow's security forces. Asked whether Armenia would close the Russian military base in the country, Pashinyan said during the interview that Russia’s military presence in Armenia was based on a separate ‘legal-contractual framework’. "We haven’t had the occasion to address that framework", Pashinyan said.
