Armenia is “free” to leave the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said. He made the remarks after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he would be “very pleased” if the Russian-led military alliance expelled Armenia.
“If Yerevan, from the perspective of its national interests, no longer requires membership in such an important organisation for ensuring regional security, then it is free to make the appropriate decision and leave,” Peskov said on Monday.
Earlier the same day, Pashinyan told Armenia’s parliament that the country’s interest in the Collective Security Treaty Organization was “exhausted.”
“I will be very pleased if they decide to expel Armenia from the CSTO. In any case, it would free us from the dilemma of whether to leave or not,” Pashinyan said.
Armenia froze its participation in the Russian-led security alliance in February 2024 after the bloc failed to act during Azerbaijan’s 2023 military operation in Garabagh.
Yerevan has not paid budget contributions to the organisation since 2024 but has yet to formally withdraw.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned in June that measures could be taken against Yerevan under the CSTO charter over Armenia’s failure to pay membership fees.
The CSTO, established in 2002, includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
Amid the deepening rift with the Russian-led alliance, Pashinyan said on Monday that Armenia intends to begin the process of applying for EU membership in the near future.
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The head of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says Armenia has effectively withdrawn from the military alliance, despite not formally ending its membership.
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