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.

Border Update & Leaks | Azerbaijan in the CSTO? | New Poll & Elections | (Ep #62) - May 23, 2021 [EP62]

Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine, China, Iran, Artsakh, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - May 23, 2021

Topics:

  • Border update, and Leaked documents
  • Azerbaijan membership in the CSTO?
  • New MPG Poll on the Armenian Elections

Guest:

  • Emil Sanamyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210523.html Recorded: May 24, 2021

Border Update & Leaks | Azerbaijan in the CSTO? | New Poll & Elections | (Ep #62) - May 23, 2021 [EP62]

Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine, China, Iran, Artsakh, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO

ANN/Groong Week in Review - May 23, 2021

Topics:

  • Border update, and Leaked documents
  • Azerbaijan membership in the CSTO?
  • New MPG Poll on the Armenian Elections

Guest:

  • Emil Sanamyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210523.html Recorded: May 24, 2021

Azerbaijan Incursion in Syunik | Lavrov in Yerevan/Baku | Electoral Politics (Ep #61) May 16, 2021 [EP61]

Posted on Monday, May 17, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Iran, Ukraine, China, Genocide, India, Israel, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - May 16, 2021 Topics:

  • Azerbaijan’s Incursion into Syunik
  • Lavrov’s Visit to Yerevan and Baku
  • Electoral Politics

Guests:

  • Tatul Hakobyan
  • Emil Sanamyan
  • Artyom Tonoyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan @HovikYerevan
  • Asbed Bedrossian @qubriq

Episode 60 | Recorded: May 2, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210516.html

Azerbaijan Incursion in Syunik | Lavrov in Yerevan/Baku | Electoral Politics (Ep #61) May 16, 2021 [EP61]

Posted on Monday, May 17, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Iran, Ukraine, China, Genocide, India, Israel, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO

ANN/Groong Week in Review - May 16, 2021 Topics:

  • Azerbaijan’s Incursion into Syunik
  • Lavrov’s Visit to Yerevan and Baku
  • Electoral Politics

Guests:

  • Tatul Hakobyan
  • Emil Sanamyan
  • Artyom Tonoyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan @HovikYerevan
  • Asbed Bedrossian @qubriq

Episode 60 | Recorded: May 2, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210516.html

Armenia-Russia | Iran-Russia/Iran-Armenia | Election Latest Polls | Sargsyan (Ep #60) - May 2, 2021 [EP60]

Posted on Monday, May 3, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, China, Turkey, Genocide, Geopolitics, Ukraine, Middle East, Artsakh, Economy, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - May 2, 2021

Topics:

  • Armenia-Russia Relations and the New Cold War
  • Iran-Russia and Iran-Armenia Relations
  • Election Politics and the Latest MPG Polls
  • Serge Sargsyan’s Interview

Guests:

  • Marine Manucharyan @armoland
  • Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian @qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan @HovikYerevan

Episode 60 | Recorded: May 2, 2021

Armenia-Russia | Iran-Russia/Iran-Armenia | Election Latest Polls | Sargsyan (Ep #60) - May 2, 2021 [EP60]

Posted on Monday, May 3, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, China, Turkey, Genocide, Geopolitics, Ukraine, Middle East, Artsakh, Economy, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO

ANN/Groong Week in Review - May 2, 2021

Topics:

  • Armenia-Russia Relations and the New Cold War
  • Iran-Russia and Iran-Armenia Relations
  • Election Politics and the Latest MPG Polls
  • Serge Sargsyan’s Interview

Guests:

  • Marine Manucharyan @armoland
  • Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian @qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan @HovikYerevan

Episode 60 | Recorded: May 2, 2021

ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #11) - 08/30/2020 [EP11]

Posted on Sunday, Aug 30, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Azerbaijan, Russia, Syria, Artsakh, Lebanon, USA, Middle East, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 08/30/2020

Topics:

  • Armenian POW Gurgen Alaverdyan
  • Armenia’s Humanitarian Aid to Aleppo
  • Serge Sargsyan’s Interview and the Four-Day War Deliberations
  • National Awards
  • Vagharshak Harutyunyan’s Appointment as Chief Advisor to Pashinyan

Guests:

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Emil Sanamyan
  • Alen Zamanyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20200830.html Episode 11 | Recorded on August 30 2020

ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #11) - 08/30/2020 [EP11]

Posted on Sunday, Aug 30, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Azerbaijan, Russia, Syria, Artsakh, Lebanon, USA, Middle East, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 08/30/2020

Topics:

  • Armenian POW Gurgen Alaverdyan
  • Armenia’s Humanitarian Aid to Aleppo
  • Serge Sargsyan’s Interview and the Four-Day War Deliberations
  • National Awards
  • Vagharshak Harutyunyan’s Appointment as Chief Advisor to Pashinyan

Guests:

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Emil Sanamyan
  • Alen Zamanyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20200830.html Episode 11 | Recorded on August 30 2020

ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #8) - 08/16/2020 [EP8]

Posted on Monday, Aug 17, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Economy, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Iran, Human Rights, Genocide, Israel, China, Turkey, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 08/16/2020

This Week in Review we talk with Hrant Mikaelian to discuss important issues and developments around Armenia, such as the Coronavirus Pandemic, and its economic effect; Armenia’s membership in EurAsian Economic Union and the economic effect of that organization on Armenia; and some of the trends affecting Russia and its economy.

Hrant will then join us in our weekly lightning round of questions from the past week’s headlines, to analyze Prime Minister Pashinyan’s

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