Armenia seeks departure from Russia-led security coalition.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is set to exit his country from the security alliance, which holds predominantly Russian influence. This alliance includes a number of former Soviet states, such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Pashinyan announced during a parliamentary question-and-answer session on Wednesday that Armenia will decide at a later date the exact moment they depart from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Since the escalating confrontation with Russia, Armenia had temporarily ceased participating in the alliance, canceled joint military drills, and skipped CSTO summit meetings. This Tuesday marked the first time Pashinyan directly stated that his country would completely abandon the CSTO. As of yet, no reaction has been received from the Russian authorities.
Tensions between Armenia and Russia, a long-standing ally, have been rapidly deteriorating since Azerbaijan asserted control over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in September, concluding a quarter-century rule by Armenian separatists. Armenia alleges that peacekeeping forces, sent by Russia post-previous conflicts in 2020, could not prevent the Azerbaijani advance.
However, Russia denies these claims, stating that Russian troops were not tasked with the authority to interfere in any way. The Kremlin, meanwhile, is disgruntled over Pashinyan's endeavors to form stronger ties with the West.
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More precisely, the decision to leave the Russia-led security alliance by Armenia will be made at a future date beyond the parliamentary question-and-answer session. Following this move, Armenia might explore possibilities for establishing a security alliance with other countries, potentially shifting its focus away from Russia.
