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.

Arthur 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

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:

We’re 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 we’re the sleeping beauty and the west is going to come and save us. And every time that it

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Lachin Blocked | Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Military Exercises | Syunik [EP182]

Posted on Sunday, Dec 11, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Ukraine, China, Geopolitics, Economy, Israel, Middle East, NATO, Syria, India | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Lachin Corridor Blockade
  • Continuing Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
  • Turkish-Azerbaijani Military Exercises
  • Travel Impressions from the region

Episode 182 | Recorded: December 13, 2022

Lachin Blocked | Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Military Exercises | Syunik [EP182]

Posted on Sunday, Dec 11, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Ukraine, China, Geopolitics, Economy, Israel, Middle East, NATO, Syria, India

Guest:

Topics:

  • Lachin Corridor Blockade
  • Continuing Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
  • Turkish-Azerbaijani Military Exercises
  • Travel Impressions from the region

Episode 182 | Recorded: December 13, 2022

Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Artsakh Reshuffle | Opposition [EP181]

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 | Category: Politics, Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Russia, Iran, NATO, Ukraine, Economy, Middle East | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
    • CSTO Debacle
    • Lavrov Bombshell
    • Lachin Corridor Blockaded
    • Brussels Summit Canceled
  • Artsakh President Lays off Government
  • Parliamentary Opposition Fragmenting

Episode 181 | Recorded: December 6, 2022

Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Artsakh Reshuffle | Opposition [EP181]

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 | Category: Politics, Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Russia, Iran, NATO, Ukraine, Economy, Middle East

Guest:

Topics:

  • Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
    • CSTO Debacle
    • Lavrov Bombshell
    • Lachin Corridor Blockaded
    • Brussels Summit Canceled
  • Artsakh President Lays off Government
  • Parliamentary Opposition Fragmenting

Episode 181 | Recorded: December 6, 2022

Armenia's Rocky Relationship with the CSTO | Ep. 180 - Dec 5, 2022 [EP180]

Posted on Monday, Dec 5, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, NATO, European Union, Georgia, Ukraine | Series: cog

Guest:

Topics:

  • What’s Armenia’s Goal in pushing the CSTO in a direction that it won’t go?
  • What Came Out of the CSTO Summit in Yerevan?
  • What is the Level of Trust between the CSTO and Armenia?
  • How should Armenian proceed in Relations with the CSTO?
  • Does Armenia have Alternatives?

Episode 180 | Recorded: December 5, 2022

Armenia's Rocky Relationship with the CSTO | Ep. 180 - Dec 5, 2022 [EP180]

Posted on Monday, Dec 5, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, NATO, European Union, Georgia, Ukraine

Guest:

Topics:

  • What’s Armenia’s Goal in pushing the CSTO in a direction that it won’t go?
  • What Came Out of the CSTO Summit in Yerevan?
  • What is the Level of Trust between the CSTO and Armenia?
  • How should Armenian proceed in Relations with the CSTO?
  • Does Armenia have Alternatives?

Episode 180 | Recorded: December 5, 2022

Arthur Khachikyan & Gev Iskajyan: The Nov 10 Statement, Two Years On [EP177]

Posted on Monday, Nov 14, 2022 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, European Union, Ukraine, Genocide, Economy, Israel, India | Series: wir

Guests:

Topics:

  • November 10 “Ceasefire”
    • We’ll talk with our guests in Yerevan and Stepanakert about their perceptions of where we are in terms of ceasing fire, two years later.
  • The Peace is Dead, Long Live the Peace
    • We’ll talk about increased war rhetoric from Azerbaijan, threatening Armenia, Russia, Iran, and anyone else who comes to Armenia’s aid. With the pressure increasing and Aliyev’s two-month deadline approaching, we’ll investigate the possibility of renewed war.

Episode 177 | Recorded: November 14, 2022

Arthur Khachikyan & Gev Iskajyan: The Nov 10 Statement, Two Years On [EP177]

Posted on Monday, Nov 14, 2022 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, European Union, Ukraine, Genocide, Economy, Israel, India

Guests:

Topics:

  • November 10 “Ceasefire”
    • We’ll talk with our guests in Yerevan and Stepanakert about their perceptions of where we are in terms of ceasing fire, two years later.
  • The Peace is Dead, Long Live the Peace
    • We’ll talk about increased war rhetoric from Azerbaijan, threatening Armenia, Russia, Iran, and anyone else who comes to Armenia’s aid. With the pressure increasing and Aliyev’s two-month deadline approaching, we’ll investigate the possibility of renewed war.

Episode 177 | Recorded: November 14, 2022