On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected claims that Armenia had been subjected to foreign aggression, responding to Yerevan’s criticism of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Putin’s comments came shortly after a CSTO summit in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, which was boycotted by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
“The current situation with the CSTO is likely driven by internal political dynamics within Armenia, and it is connected to the fallout from the crisis in Karabakh,” Putin stated, addressing the boycott. “I want to emphasize that the CSTO has no involvement in this matter.”
He further clarified, “What happened is unrelated to the CSTO, as there was no external aggression against Armenia itself. The CSTO’s mission is to defend its member states from external threats.”
Regarding the events in Karabakh, Putin noted, “Armenia did not recognize Karabakh as an independent state and did not include it within its borders. Therefore, everything that happened in Karabakh has no legal connection to Armenia. It is therefore illogical to expect the CSTO to intervene in the territory of this enclave.”
Putin did not comment on Azerbaijan’s attacks on Armenian border areas, which followed the 2020 war in Karabakh. After the September 2022 Azerbaijani offensive, Armenia called on Russia and other CSTO members for military assistance. However, these requests were largely ignored, leading Pashinyan to announce the de facto suspension of Armenia’s CSTO membership earlier this year.
In September, Pashinyan escalated his criticism, stating that the CSTO now posed an existential threat to Armenia. The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed these remarks, asserting that Pashinyan was still cautious about fully severing ties with the alliance.
Despite the tensions, Putin suggested that Armenia might yet return to full participation within the CSTO, saying, “There is still a possibility that Armenia will re-engage fully with the organization. We’ll see.”
