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.
Rally in Stepanakert | Sullivan Plan | CSTO Security Council Convened | Trilateral in Sochi | Pashinyan in Tehran [EP173]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 2, 2022 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, USA, European Union, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, Syria, Genocide, China, Human Rights, Ukraine | Series: cog
Guest:
Topics:
- Massive Stepanakert Rally
- The Sullivan Plan
- CSTO Security Council Convened
- Trilateral Summit in Sochi
- From Sochi to Tehran
Episode 173 | Recorded: November 1, 2022
Rally in Stepanakert | Sullivan Plan | CSTO Security Council Convened | Trilateral in Sochi | Pashinyan in Tehran [EP173]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 2, 2022 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, USA, European Union, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, Syria, Genocide, China, Human Rights, UkraineGuest:
Topics:
- Massive Stepanakert Rally
- The Sullivan Plan
- CSTO Security Council Convened
- Trilateral Summit in Sochi
- From Sochi to Tehran
Episode 173 | Recorded: November 1, 2022
Monitors in Armenia | Russia-West Rivalry in South Caucasus | Armenia-Iran Relations | Israel-Lebanon Maritime Agreement | Lebanon Presidential Elections [EP171]
Posted on Sunday, Oct 23, 2022 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Diaspora, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, India, Lebanon, Turkey, Russia, Israel, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, Genocide, NATO, China, Syria, Human Rights, Middle East, Georgia | Series: wir
Guests:
Topics:
- Monitors in Armenia
- Russia-West Rivalry in the South Caucasus
- Armenian-Iranian Relations
- Maritime Agreement between Israel and Lebanon
- State of Lebanonâs Presidential Election
Monitors in Armenia | Russia-West Rivalry in South Caucasus | Armenia-Iran Relations | Israel-Lebanon Maritime Agreement | Lebanon Presidential Elections [EP171]
Posted on Sunday, Oct 23, 2022 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Diaspora, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, India, Lebanon, Turkey, Russia, Israel, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, Genocide, NATO, China, Syria, Human Rights, Middle East, GeorgiaGuests:
Topics:
- Monitors in Armenia
- Russia-West Rivalry in the South Caucasus
- Armenian-Iranian Relations
- Maritime Agreement between Israel and Lebanon
- State of Lebanonâs Presidential Election
2022 Census | Astana | Iran | Cyber Attack | Remembering TsOR Unit | Ep 169 - Oct 16, 2022 [EP169]
Posted on Monday, Oct 17, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, Human Rights, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Economy, Geopolitics, Israel, India | Series: wir
Guests:
Topics:
- Census in progress in Armenia
- Meetings in Astana
- Developments in Iran
- Armenian websites compromised
- Remembering the TsOR artillery unit
Episode 169 | Recorded: October 17, 2022
2022 Census | Astana | Iran | Cyber Attack | Remembering TsOR Unit | Ep 169 - Oct 16, 2022 [EP169]
Posted on Monday, Oct 17, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, Human Rights, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Economy, Geopolitics, Israel, IndiaGuests:
Topics:
- Census in progress in Armenia
- Meetings in Astana
- Developments in Iran
- Armenian websites compromised
- Remembering the TsOR artillery unit
Episode 169 | Recorded: October 17, 2022
Armenia-Azerbaijan “Peace Negotiations” Tactics and Goals | October 14, 2022 [EP168]
Posted on Friday, Oct 14, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, European Union, Israel | Series: cog
Guest:
Topics:
- Goals and Tactics of Azerbaijan’s Negotiations
- How did “Corridors” Become a Thing?
- Russia’s Contributions to the process
- Options and Scenarios Going Forwards
Episode 168 | Recorded: Friday, October 14, 2022
Armenia-Azerbaijan “Peace Negotiations” Tactics and Goals | October 14, 2022 [EP168]
Posted on Friday, Oct 14, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, European Union, IsraelGuest:
Topics:
- Goals and Tactics of Azerbaijan’s Negotiations
- How did “Corridors” Become a Thing?
- Russia’s Contributions to the process
- Options and Scenarios Going Forwards
Episode 168 | Recorded: Friday, October 14, 2022
US-Armenia Relations | Azerbaijan Maps | Azerbaijan Aggression and War Crimes | Ep 166 - Oct 2, 2022 [EP166]
Posted on Tuesday, Oct 4, 2022 | Category: United States, Armenia, Politics, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Ukraine, Genocide, Geopolitics, Georgia, China, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Human Rights, India, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- US-Armenia Relations
- Azerbaijanâs Maps and Claims
- Azerbaijan Continues to Occupy Armenia
- Internal Politics in Armenia
Episode 166 | Recorded: October 1 & 3, 2022