On Wednesday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in parliament for the first time that Armenia would withdraw from the Russian-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Pashinyan, in response to questions from the opposition, said, “We will decide when to leave… We have no choice but to leave.” However, he did not specify a date for the withdrawal.
Due to the lack of military support from the organization during the conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan, Pashinyan has frozen interaction with the CSTO since the end of last year. He stated, “The fact is that CSTO members did not fulfill their contractual obligations and even waged war against us together with Azerbaijan.”
Armenia and Azerbaijan have a longstanding conflict over the territorial dispute in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. While internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, the majority of the population in the area is Armenian.
Last September, Azerbaijan regained the territory by force, leading to over a hundred thousand Armenians fleeing to Armenia out of fear of ethnic cleansing.
Armenia requested military assistance from the CSTO but received no response. Although Russia plays a significant mediating role in the region and has peacekeeping forces deployed in Armenia, Russia is preoccupied with the war in Ukraine.
Subsequently, Pashinyan made a series of statements expressing dissatisfaction with the CSTO and Russia, stating that Armenia’s national security can no longer rely on Moscow.
Pashinyan is attempting to establish closer relations with the United States and the European Union. Last September, Armenia held joint military exercises with the United States, triggering Russia’s displeasure.
In February this year, during an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI), Pashinyan stated that due to repeated disappointments from Moscow, Armenia cannot rely on Russia as its primary defense and military partner anymore, and thus must consider closer ties with the US and France.
In March, he mentioned that unless the CSTO could satisfactorily detail how it would fulfill its commitments to safeguard member states’ security, Armenia would withdraw from the organization.
In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed shock at the way Armenian political leaders publicly announced their intentions regarding the CSTO and suggested that such statements should be made within the organization’s framework.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization, headquartered in Moscow, was established in 1992 and currently has six member countries, including Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Belarus. Azerbaijan was a former member state, announcing its withdrawal in 1999.