Moscow CSTO summit tests Russia's grip as Armenia distances itself
Russia is hosting a security summit in Moscow on Wednesday that is drawing attention to the strained relationship between the Kremlin and Armenia. President Vladimir Putin is chairing a session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Russia-led post-Soviet military bloc. The meeting comes as Armenia keeps its participation in the bloc frozen and questions grow over the organisation's future cohesion.
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Armenia has not taken part in CSTO activities since February 2024, although its membership technically remains in place. Yerevan has effectively boycotted the bloc after blaming it for failing to provide meaningful support during its conflict with Azerbaijan. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that Armenia "de facto doesn't participate in the CSTO's operations", while adding that what happens next will depend on the discussions inside the organisation.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on November 5 that "our interest in the CSTO has run its course". His remarks underline how far relations have deteriorated since the 2020 war over Nagorno-Karabakh, when the bloc did not send troops to assist Armenia despite its charter envisaging such support. The CSTO's other members include Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, all of which remain tied to Moscow through the alliance.
The summit matters because it is testing Russia's influence over one of its closest former Soviet allies at a time when regional security alignments are shifting. Armenia has also been moving closer to the European Union, adding to Moscow's concerns about its long-term role in the South Caucasus. For the Kremlin, the meeting is not only about alliance management but also about whether the CSTO can still function as a credible security framework.
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The tensions have been building for years. Pashinyan came to power in 2018 after mass protests against Russia-backed Armenian leaders, and his government has since taken a more openly sceptical line toward Moscow. Russia still maintains two military bases in Armenia with thousands of servicemen and border guards, which gives the relationship added strategic weight even as political trust erodes.
Azerbaijan, which left the CSTO in 1999, is also part of the wider backdrop to the dispute. The row over Nagorno-Karabakh and the bloc's response to Armenia's security concerns have become central to Yerevan's criticism of the alliance. What remains unclear is whether the Moscow meeting will produce any practical change in Armenia's status or simply confirm the widening gap between Yerevan and the Russia-led bloc.
