CSTO

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.

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 | Series: cog

Guest:

Dr. Anna Karapetyan

Topics:

Whatâs Armeniaâs Goal in pushing the CSTO in a direction that it wonât 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

Guest:

Dr. Anna Karapetyan

Topics:

Whatâs Armeniaâs Goal in pushing the CSTO in a direction that it wonât 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 | Series: wir

Guests:

Topics:

November 10 “Ceasefire”
- Weâll 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
- Weâll talk about increased war rhetoric from Azerbaijan, threatening Armenia, Russia, Iran, and anyone else who comes to Armeniaâs aid. With the pressure increasing and Aliyevâs two-month deadline approaching, weâll 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

Guests:

Topics:

November 10 “Ceasefire”
- Weâll 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
- Weâll talk about increased war rhetoric from Azerbaijan, threatening Armenia, Russia, Iran, and anyone else who comes to Armeniaâs aid. With the pressure increasing and Aliyevâs two-month deadline approaching, weâll investigate the possibility of renewed war.

Episode 177 | Recorded: November 14, 2022