CSTO
Last updated: May 29, 2026
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 .
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with CSTO.
William Bairamian, Arthur Khachikyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 31 [EP199]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Diaspora, Artsakh Blockade, Turkey, Azerbaijan, NATO, Ukraine, Georgia, Economy, European Union, China, Genocide, Middle East | Series: cog, video
Guests:
- William Bairamian , founder and editor of The Armenite. He has written extensively on Armenian politics, culture, and society. He received degrees in international affairs from Columbia University and UCLA.
- Arthur Khachikyan , International Relations expert from Stanford University, specializing in Intervention. He currently teaches at the Russian Armenian University in Yerevan.
âThis is a repeat of Srebrenica. To gradually strangle and force the people to leave.â -Arthur Khachikyan
Topic:
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh)
Read MoreWilliam Bairamian, Arthur Khachikyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 31 [EP199]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Diaspora, Artsakh Blockade, Turkey, Azerbaijan, NATO, Ukraine, Georgia, Economy, European Union, China, Genocide, Middle EastGuests:
- William Bairamian , founder and editor of The Armenite. He has written extensively on Armenian politics, culture, and society. He received degrees in international affairs from Columbia University and UCLA.
- Arthur Khachikyan , International Relations expert from Stanford University, specializing in Intervention. He currently teaches at the Russian Armenian University in Yerevan.
âThis is a repeat of Srebrenica. To gradually strangle and force the people to leave.â -Arthur Khachikyan
Topic:
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh)
Read MoreHovhannes Ishkanyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 25 [EP198]
Posted on Thursday, Jan 5, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Human Rights, Genocide, Ukraine, China, Georgia, NATO, Syria, European Union, Iran, Israel | Series: cog, video
Guest:
- Hovhannes Ishkhanyan , writer, documentary filmmaker, publicist, co-founder of Eye for an Eye (Akn Und Akan), a community of documentarians. Hovhannes has a Master’s in journalism from the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs.
Using art to prevent catastrophes instead of reacting to them
Ishkhanyan’s documentary “Sleep art”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzqzPpVsK-g
Topic:
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh) due to Azerbaijanâs blockade of the Lachin (Berdzor) corridor, as this crisis enters its 25th
Read MoreHovhannes Ishkanyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 25 [EP198]
Posted on Thursday, Jan 5, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Human Rights, Genocide, Ukraine, China, Georgia, NATO, Syria, European Union, Iran, IsraelGuest:
- Hovhannes Ishkhanyan , writer, documentary filmmaker, publicist, co-founder of Eye for an Eye (Akn Und Akan), a community of documentarians. Hovhannes has a Master’s in journalism from the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs.
Using art to prevent catastrophes instead of reacting to them
Ishkhanyan’s documentary “Sleep art”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzqzPpVsK-g
Topic:
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh) due to Azerbaijanâs blockade of the Lachin (Berdzor) corridor, as this crisis enters its 25th
Read MoreReflections on Artsakh Blockade | Is Russia Pressuring Armenia to join Union State | Bill to Control Internet during Martial Law | Highlights and Lowlights of 2022 | Predictions for 2023 [EP197]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 3, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Artsakh Blockade, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, European Union, Genocide, Israel, Economy, Georgia, Human Rights | Series: wir
Guest:
Topic:
- Hovikâs Reflections from the Artsakh Blockade Interviews
- Is Russia Pressuring Armenia to join a âUnion Stateâ?
- Government Bill to Control the Internet During Martial Law
- Highlights and Lowlights from Armenian News in 2022
- Predictions for 2023
Episode 197 | Recorded: January 3, 2023
Reflections on Artsakh Blockade | Is Russia Pressuring Armenia to join Union State | Bill to Control Internet during Martial Law | Highlights and Lowlights of 2022 | Predictions for 2023 [EP197]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 3, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Artsakh Blockade, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, European Union, Genocide, Israel, Economy, Georgia, Human RightsGuest:
Topic:
- Hovikâs Reflections from the Artsakh Blockade Interviews
- Is Russia Pressuring Armenia to join a âUnion Stateâ?
- Government Bill to Control the Internet During Martial Law
- Highlights and Lowlights from Armenian News in 2022
- Predictions for 2023
Episode 197 | Recorded: January 3, 2023
Aram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP190]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, European Union, Genocide, NATO, Ukraine | Series: cog, video
“Current Armenian government blames everyone, but themselves, Azerbaijan and Turkey.” -Aram Orbelyan
Guest:
- Aram Orbelyan , an international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.
Topic:
This is Day 11 of the complete blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. More than 120 thousand
Read MoreAram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP190]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, European Union, Genocide, NATO, Ukraine“Current Armenian government blames everyone, but themselves, Azerbaijan and Turkey.” -Aram Orbelyan
Guest:
- Aram Orbelyan , an international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.
Topic:
This is Day 11 of the complete blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. More than 120 thousand
Read MoreArthur Khachikyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 6 [EP185]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 17, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Iran, Ukraine, NATO, Israel, China, Economy, India | Series: cog, video
Guest:
- Arthur Khachikyan , PhD is an International Relations expert from Stanford University, specializing in Intervention. He currently teaches at the Russian Armenian University in Yerevan.
Topic:
Weâre going on to Day 6 of the Artsakh Blockade by Azerbaijan, and Groong and 168 Hours are teaming up to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious issue, a major humanitarian crisis in Artsakh in progress.
“We somehow have this complex. We think weâre the sleeping beauty and the west is going to come and save us. And every time that it
Read More