“No matter what the Westerners promise, who pushed the Armenian authorities to freeze participation in the CSTO, there are no effective alternatives to the organization as a mechanism for ensuring the security of Armenia today,” said Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galuzin.

“Representatives of the United States, the European Union and NATO are calling on Yerevan to sever all ties with Moscow and are seeking withdrawal from our common integration associations,” Galuzin said. According to him, work to increase the potential of the CSTO is moving systematically, “leaving Yerevan behind.”

On June 13, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that “the next logical step will be withdrawal from the CSTO” and the country’s authorities will decide exactly when to take this step. On February 23, in an interview with France24, he announced the freezing of Armenia’s participation in the organization. On May 8, the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported that the country would not participate in the approval of the CSTO annual budget.

In addition to Armenia, the CSTO includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.