Armenia no longer has grounds to view Russia as strategic partner, says PM Pashinyan
There are now grounds not to regard Russia as Armenia’s strategic partner, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a press briefing in Yerevan on Aug. 27, pointing to Moscow’s and the CSTO’s failure to meet security obligations during Azerbaijan’s September 2022 offensive near the Armenian town of Jermuk, according to ARKA.
On August 27, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated there are now valid reasons to no longer consider Russia a strategic partner, citing Moscow and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for failing to fulfill their security obligations during Azerbaijan's 2022 offensive near Jermuk. Pashinyan warned that if the strategic partnership designation were to appear in the government's 2026-2031 program, one would question why Russia and the CSTO did not honor their commitments during the September 2022 conflict.
This marks a shift from earlier claims that Armenia's relations with Russia were "a natural process" following the establishment of peace between Yerevan and Baku. Pashinyan further stated that his government does not intend to resume active involvement in the CSTO over the next five years, and welcomes potential expulsion from the bloc.
The CSTO charter permits member expulsion, a possibility Pashinyan has welcomed. In February 2024, Armenia had suspended participation in the CSTO and formally ceased funding the organization following its inability to intervene in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Pashinyan had previously dubbed the CSTO a "bubble alliance" and accused certain members of aiding Azerbaijan.
In his latest comments, Pashinyan also addressed Russia's request for Armenia to hold a referendum on whether it wishes to remain in the Eurasian Economic Union or join the European Union. He affirmed that before initiating the EU membership process, Armenia must submit an official application, which he expects to commence soon.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of a referendum, provided Armenia receives a response to its official appeal to the EU and a roadmap for the process emerges. In 2024, Armenia temporarily halted CSTO participation before announcing its intention to eventually leave the organization. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in June 2026, suggested the CSTO countries would evaluate applying a charter article against Armenia for unpaid contributions over two years, which could result in the loss of voting rights or expulsion.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan revealed on June 8 that Armenia had not paid its 2025 CSTO contribution due to the lack of participation in the organization's activities. Pashinyan responded to Lavrov's criticism on June 11 by asserting that if expulsion was decided, Armenia would acknowledge it.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
