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.
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
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
Azerbaijani aggression: facts and analysis | Nancy Pelosi | Ep 165 - Sep 18, 2022 [EP165]
Posted on Monday, Sep 19, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, China, India, Syria, Georgia, Human Rights, Middle East, European Union, NATO | Series: wir
Guests:
Topics:
- Azerbaijani Aggression
- Russia and CSTO
- UN & International Reaction
- War Communications (with Karen Vrtanesyan)
- Nancy Pelosi’s Visit (with Suren Sargsyan)
Episode 165 | Recorded: Sunday, September 18, 2022
Azerbaijani aggression: facts and analysis | Nancy Pelosi | Ep 165 - Sep 18, 2022 [EP165]
Posted on Monday, Sep 19, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, China, India, Syria, Georgia, Human Rights, Middle East, European Union, NATOGuests:
Topics:
- Azerbaijani Aggression
- Russia and CSTO
- UN & International Reaction
- War Communications (with Karen Vrtanesyan)
- Nancy Pelosi’s Visit (with Suren Sargsyan)
Episode 165 | Recorded: Sunday, September 18, 2022
Developments in Regional Geopolitics and Censorship Laws | Ep #146 - July 10, 2022 [EP146]
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 12, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Syria, India, Georgia, Israel, China, Economy, Ukraine, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Middle East | Series: wir
Guest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 10, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:40 Developments in the Regional Geopolitics
- 47:53 Watch your Internets!
- 55:58 Rants
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian / TW/@Hrant_M
- Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan / TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 146 | Recorded: Monday, July 11, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220710.html
#armenian #news
Developments in Regional Geopolitics and Censorship Laws | Ep #146 - July 10, 2022 [EP146]
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 12, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Syria, India, Georgia, Israel, China, Economy, Ukraine, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Middle EastGuest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 10, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:40 Developments in the Regional Geopolitics
- 47:53 Watch your Internets!
- 55:58 Rants
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian / TW/@Hrant_M
- Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan / TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 146 | Recorded: Monday, July 11, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220710.html
#armenian #news
Armenian News: Yerevan Protests Grow | Artsakh Negotiations | New MPG Poll | Ep #141 - Jun 5, 2022 [EP141]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 7, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Armenia, Politics, Poll, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union | Series: wir
Guest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - June 5, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 02:52 Yerevan Protests Continue
- 24:30 State of Negotiations on Artsakh
- 42:27 MPG Gallup Poll Results
- 44:14 Rants
Guests:
Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan / TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq Episode 141 | Recorded: Monday, June 6, 2022
Armenian News: Yerevan Protests Grow | Artsakh Negotiations | New MPG Poll | Ep #141 - Jun 5, 2022 [EP141]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 7, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Armenia, Politics, Poll, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European UnionGuest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - June 5, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 02:52 Yerevan Protests Continue
- 24:30 State of Negotiations on Artsakh
- 42:27 MPG Gallup Poll Results
- 44:14 Rants
Guests:
Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan / TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq Episode 141 | Recorded: Monday, June 6, 2022
Armenian News: Russia Geopolitics | Armenia Russia Rels | Israel & Armenia | Ep #140 - May 29, 2022 [EP140]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 1, 2022 | Category: Russia, Armenia, Israel, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Syria, Middle East, Economy, Geopolitics, Georgia, Artsakh, China, Genocide, India, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir
Guest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 29, 2022
Topics:
00:00 Introduction
02:27 Russiaâs Geopolitics: Weâll get an update on the war as well as trying to understand what Russiaâs endgame is in Ukraine and how it may affect our region.
23:10 Armenia-Russia Relations: Next, we try to understand the dynamics of Armenia-Russian relations as well as the outlook for the future.
42:38 Israeli Interests and Armenia: Lastly, taking advantage of our guestâs area of expertise, we look at Israeli-Armenian relations, the history of failures in this
Armenian News: Russia Geopolitics | Armenia Russia Rels | Israel & Armenia | Ep #140 - May 29, 2022 [EP140]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 1, 2022 | Category: Russia, Armenia, Israel, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Syria, Middle East, Economy, Geopolitics, Georgia, Artsakh, China, Genocide, India, Nagorno Karabakh, NATOGuest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 29, 2022
Topics:
00:00 Introduction
02:27 Russiaâs Geopolitics: Weâll get an update on the war as well as trying to understand what Russiaâs endgame is in Ukraine and how it may affect our region.
23:10 Armenia-Russia Relations: Next, we try to understand the dynamics of Armenia-Russian relations as well as the outlook for the future.
42:38 Israeli Interests and Armenia: Lastly, taking advantage of our guestâs area of expertise, we look at Israeli-Armenian relations, the history of failures in this