Tag: CSTO
The Collective Security Treaty Organization is a Russian-led military alliance formed in 1992 among several post-Soviet states, including Armenia. For decades it served as the formal backbone of Armenia’s security architecture, providing the legal basis for basing Russian troops in the country and for collective defense commitments. Armenia’s membership was long treated as the price of Russia’s security umbrella in a volatile region.
The relationship fractured after the 44-Day War of 2020, when Russia brokered the ceasefire but CSTO troops were never deployed to defend Armenia. The September 2023 Azerbaijani offensive against Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) — which resulted in the ethnic cleansing of the entire Armenian population — exposed the alliance’s unwillingness to act on Armenia’s behalf. In 2024, Armenia formally suspended its participation in CSTO activities, effectively freezing its membership without a formal withdrawal.
Groong has covered the deterioration of Armenia’s relationship with the CSTO extensively: from the initial 2020 disillusionment through repeated CSTO summits where Armenia was isolated, the failed mediation attempts, and the domestic and foreign-policy implications of Armenia’s pivot away from the Russian security orbit toward Western security partnerships with France, the EU, and India.
Hovik & Asbed - Iran War, April 2016 War, Armenia & Russia, Politics & Election | Ep 530, Apr 5, 2026 [EP530]
Posted on Wednesday, Apr 8, 2026 | Category: Iran, Armenia, Politics, Election, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Iran War Update
- 2016 April War
- Aftermath of Pashinyan in Moscow
- Domestic Politics & Election
Episode 530 | Recorded: April 7, 2026
#Groong #Armenia
Hovik & Asbed - Iran War, April 2016 War, Armenia & Russia, Politics & Election | Ep 530, Apr 5, 2026 [EP530]
Posted on Wednesday, Apr 8, 2026 | Category: Iran, Armenia, Politics, Election, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, AzerbaijanGroong Links:
Topics:
- Iran War Update
- 2016 April War
- Aftermath of Pashinyan in Moscow
- Domestic Politics & Election
Episode 530 | Recorded: April 7, 2026
#Groong #Armenia
Transcript: Hovik & Asbed - Iran War, April 2016 War, Armenia & Russia, Politics & Election | Ep 530, Apr 5, 2026 [EP530]
Posted on Wednesday, Apr 8, 2026 | Category: Iran, Armenia, Politics, Election, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, TranscriptIn this Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discussed the escalating US-Israeli war on Iran and the danger of a wider regional catastrophe; we reflected on the tenth anniversary of the April 2016 Four-Day War and what it revealed about Armenia’s military and diplomatic posture; we examined the fallout from Pashinyan’s Moscow visit and the increasingly blunt Russian response, and reviewed the fast-moving Armenian election campaign, including pressure on the opposition, EU involvement, and the emerging strategies of major the various alliances.
Benyamin Poghosyan - Ukraine, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, TRIPP, Review & Outlook | Ep 500, Dec 28, 2025 [EP500]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Geopolitics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Israel, Iran | Series: video, wir
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Foreign Crises Affecting Armenia
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Saga
- Russia and TRIPP
- Change of US Ambassador
- Year-End Review & Outlook
Episode 500 | Recorded: December 31, 2025
Benyamin Poghosyan - Ukraine, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, TRIPP, Review & Outlook | Ep 500, Dec 28, 2025 [EP500]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Geopolitics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Israel, IranGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Foreign Crises Affecting Armenia
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Saga
- Russia and TRIPP
- Change of US Ambassador
- Year-End Review & Outlook
Episode 500 | Recorded: December 31, 2025
Hrant Mikaelian - Ukraine Talks, Armenia’s Crackdowns, and Rising Tensions | Ep 488, Nov 23, 2025 [EP488]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, China, Economy, Iran, Middle East, Artsakh, Human Rights, Genocide | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- High-Stakes Ukraine Talks
- Armeniaâs Growing Political Detentions
- Pashinyan Honored In Kazakhstan
- Rising Pressure On The Church
- Impeachment vs. Elections
- Pashinyan Seizes Power Grid
Episode 488 | Recorded: November 24, 2025
Hrant Mikaelian - Ukraine Talks, Armenia’s Crackdowns, and Rising Tensions | Ep 488, Nov 23, 2025 [EP488]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, China, Economy, Iran, Middle East, Artsakh, Human Rights, GenocideGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- High-Stakes Ukraine Talks
- Armeniaâs Growing Political Detentions
- Pashinyan Honored In Kazakhstan
- Rising Pressure On The Church
- Impeachment vs. Elections
- Pashinyan Seizes Power Grid
Episode 488 | Recorded: November 24, 2025
Christine Arakelian - Pashinyan vs. the Church, India Armenia, NGOs and Foreign Influence | Ep 462, Aug 17, 2025 [EP462]
Posted on Sunday, Aug 17, 2025 | Category: Georgia, Politics, Armenia, Armenian Church, Human Rights, Russia, India | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Pashinyan vs. The Armenian Church
- Indian-Armenian Relations
- NGOs and Foreign Influence
- U.S. Geopolitics and the Trump Corridor
Episode 462 | Recorded: August 15, 2025
Christine Arakelian - Pashinyan vs. the Church, India Armenia, NGOs and Foreign Influence | Ep 462, Aug 17, 2025 [EP462]
Posted on Sunday, Aug 17, 2025 | Category: Georgia, Politics, Armenia, Armenian Church, Human Rights, Russia, IndiaGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Pashinyan vs. The Armenian Church
- Indian-Armenian Relations
- NGOs and Foreign Influence
- U.S. Geopolitics and the Trump Corridor
Episode 462 | Recorded: August 15, 2025