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.
Benyamin Poghosyan - Armenia Security in Danger | Munich Security Conference | Relations with Regional Allies | Ep 310 - Feb 18, 2024 [EP310]
Posted on Sunday, Feb 18, 2024 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, NATO, Turkey, Ukraine, Geopolitics, China, Economy, European Union, Middle East, India
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Armeniaâs Security in Danger
- Munich Security Conference
- Relations with Regional Allies
Episode 310 | Recorded: February 18, 2024
Benyamin Poghosyan - Shahramanyan Annuls Artsakh Dissolution | Insecurity without Borders | Pashinyan in St. Petersburgh | Year-end Predictions | Ep 300, Dec 31, 2023 [EP300]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 30, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Ukraine, European Union, NATO, Turkey, Economy, Geopolitics, Israel, India | Series: wir
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Artsakh President Annuls Dissolution of Republic
- Insecurity without Borders
- Pashinyan in St. Petersburg
- Year-end 2023 Predictions Review
- Predictions for 2024
Episode 300 | Recorded: December 31, 2023
Benyamin Poghosyan - Shahramanyan Annuls Artsakh Dissolution | Insecurity without Borders | Pashinyan in St. Petersburgh | Year-end Predictions | Ep 300, Dec 31, 2023 [EP300]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 30, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Ukraine, European Union, NATO, Turkey, Economy, Geopolitics, Israel, IndiaGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Artsakh President Annuls Dissolution of Republic
- Insecurity without Borders
- Pashinyan in St. Petersburg
- Year-end 2023 Predictions Review
- Predictions for 2024
Episode 300 | Recorded: December 31, 2023
Benyamin Poghosyan - Status of Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Armenian Diplomacy in the West | Relations with Russia | Ep 296, Dec 3, 2023 [EP296]
Posted on Monday, Dec 4, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, USA, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Georgia, NATO, China, Israel, Ukraine, Geopolitics, Genocide, India, Middle East, Economy | Series: wir
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
- Armenian Diplomacy in the West
- Relations with Russia
Episode 296 | Recorded: December 3, 2023
Benyamin Poghosyan - Status of Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Armenian Diplomacy in the West | Relations with Russia | Ep 296, Dec 3, 2023 [EP296]
Posted on Monday, Dec 4, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, USA, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Georgia, NATO, China, Israel, Ukraine, Geopolitics, Genocide, India, Middle East, EconomyGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
- Armenian Diplomacy in the West
- Relations with Russia
Episode 296 | Recorded: December 3, 2023
Benyamin Poghosyan - Developments in Artsakh | Geopolitics in the South Caucasus | Ep 278 - Sep 10, 2023 [EP278]
Posted on Sunday, Sep 10, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Geopolitics, Genocide, Georgia, Ukraine, Human Rights, India, China, NATO, Syria | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- Developments in Artsakh
- Geopolitics in the South Caucasus
Episode 278 | Recorded: September 10, 2023
Benyamin Poghosyan - Developments in Artsakh | Geopolitics in the South Caucasus | Ep 278 - Sep 10, 2023 [EP278]
Posted on Sunday, Sep 10, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Geopolitics, Genocide, Georgia, Ukraine, Human Rights, India, China, NATO, SyriaGuest:
Topics:
- Developments in Artsakh
- Geopolitics in the South Caucasus
Episode 278 | Recorded: September 10, 2023
Arthur Khachikyan - Yerevan Elections | Artsakh Domestic Developments | Negotiations and Geopolitics | Ep 277 - Sep 3, 2023 [EP277]
Posted on Sunday, Sep 3, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, Russia, Turkey, Israel, Iran, Genocide, India, Ukraine, Human Rights, China, Geopolitics, Lebanon, NATO | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- Yerevan Mayoral Elections
- Artsakh Domestic Developments
- Developments in Geopolitics and Negotiations
Episode 277 | Recorded: Sep 3, 2023
Arthur Khachikyan - Yerevan Elections | Artsakh Domestic Developments | Negotiations and Geopolitics | Ep 277 - Sep 3, 2023 [EP277]
Posted on Sunday, Sep 3, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, Russia, Turkey, Israel, Iran, Genocide, India, Ukraine, Human Rights, China, Geopolitics, Lebanon, NATOGuest:
Topics:
- Yerevan Mayoral Elections
- Artsakh Domestic Developments
- Developments in Geopolitics and Negotiations
Episode 277 | Recorded: Sep 3, 2023