Armenia threatens to suspend membership of the Russian-led military alliance CSTO, if it continues to meet certain expectations. The decision is indicative of the deteriorating relationship between the two countries.
Founded in 1992, the CSTO is led by Russia. Like its Western counterpart, the CSTO regards an attack on one member state as an attack on all. On paper, Armenia thus enjoys the protection of military superpower Russia.
Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan stated that Armenia would leave the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) if the CSTO fails to meet certain Armenian expectations, as Armenia continues to distance itself from Russian security relations. ⬇️ https://t.co/AHrak0tSG3 pic.twitter.com/bR9wcmBLxu
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) March 13, 2024
In practice, Armenia says it has seen little of that in recent years. The alliance has left Armenia out in the cold, says Prime Minister Nikol Pashinjan.
In September 2023, Azerbaijan’s army invaded the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Over 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled the area, in what Armenia described as an “ethnic cleansing”. Russia, which had a peacekeeping force in the area for several years, silently let it happen.
Commenting on the Azeri invasion, German ECR MEP Lars Patrick Berg condemned the operation as “brutal”, urging the EU Commission to take a much firmer stance.
Gestern debattierte das Europäische Parlament über die Situation in #Armenien und Möglichkeiten einer besseren Zusammenarbeit mit der Regierung in Jerewan.
Mein Urteil zur bisherigen Tatenlosigkeit der EU-Kommission fiel eindeutig aus: pic.twitter.com/BccDEO1wtm
— Lars Patrick Berg MdEP 🇩🇪 (@L_P_Berg) February 28, 2024
⚡️Armenia threatens to leave Russian-led CSTO.
Armenia will leave the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) if the alliance fails to address Armenia's collective security concerns, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on March 12.https://t.co/vtPJPkSwWp
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 13, 2024
For Armenia, after the final conquest of Nagorno-Karabakh, it is clear that it need not expect much from Russia in any future attacks.
BREAKING:
Armenia tells Russia to withdraw its border guards from the main airport in the country
A week ago, Armenia announced it’s suspending its participation in CSTO, the Russian-controlled security alliance (“Russian NATO”)
Relations with Russia are quickly deteriorating pic.twitter.com/wEQRCKc8I7
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 7, 2024
Copyright: By CSTO, vector graphics: ArBelov – http://www.odkb-csto.org/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32689384