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Armenia has been stripped of its voting rights in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) over unpaid membership fees. The decision is seen as another sign of deteriorating relations between Yerevan and Moscow, AnewZ reports.
Leaders of the military alliance’s member states made the decision at a summit in Moscow on Nov. 11, citing Article 25 of the CSTO Charter. Armenia has also lost the right to nominate candidates for positions allocated to it within the organization. The restrictions will remain in force until the country pays its outstanding fees.
The decision does not mean Armenia has been expelled from the CSTO or has formally left the alliance. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Yerevan had not applied to leave the organization and that the door remained open. CSTO Secretary-General Taalatbek Masadykov also confirmed that Armenia’s membership had not been terminated.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced in 2024 that his country was freezing its participation in the organization, accusing the CSTO of failing to protect Armenia’s security. The key question now is how a formal withdrawal would affect the country’s security and defense partnerships.
Leaving the CSTO could end collective defense guarantees
The most significant consequence of Armenia’s departure from the alliance could be the loss of collective security mechanisms tied to CSTO membership. Under Article 4 of the Collective Security Treaty, an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all. At a member’s request, the others are required to provide assistance, including military support.
Armenia has accused the CSTO of failing to respond adequately to Azerbaijan’s military operations, casting doubt on the value of that commitment. Yerevan has said Moscow and the organization provided no significant security assistance to the country.
When Pashinyan announced in September 2024 that Armenia was freezing its participation in the CSTO, he said the alliance posed a threat to the country’s sovereignty. He also told the Armenian parliament that he would welcome Armenia’s expulsion from the organization. Lavrov, however, has stressed that Armenia retains its core collective security rights despite losing its voting rights.
A formal withdrawal would therefore end treaty-based security commitments between Armenia and the other CSTO members.
Yerevan seeks alternative defense partners
For decades, Armenia relied mainly on Russia for military equipment and security matters. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia accounted for 93.7% of Armenia’s major arms imports from 2011 to 2020.
More recently, Yerevan has sought alternative suppliers and defense partners. France signed a contract in June 2024 to supply Armenia with CAESAR self-propelled howitzers. The two countries have also expanded cooperation on military training, equipment and defense modernization.
India has also become an important supplier to Armenia. New Delhi has provided Yerevan with, among other equipment, Pinaka multiple-launch rocket systems. But buying weapons from other countries is not the same as joining a formal security alliance: neither France nor India provides Armenia with a collective defense commitment comparable to its CSTO membership.
Russia’s 102nd military base is also operating in Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city. Pashinyan said in February 2026 that his government had no plans to demand the base’s closure.
Armenia seeks to normalize relations with Azerbaijan
As Armenia reassesses its security arrangements, it is seeking to normalize relations with Azerbaijan after decades of conflict. Pashinyan’s government is working on a peace agreement with Baku while also seeking closer ties with the European Union and the United States.
Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won 49.75% of the vote in the parliamentary election held in June, securing 64 of the 105 seats in the National Assembly. The result gave the government a parliamentary majority but fell short of the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments.
Azerbaijan has called on Armenia to amend its constitution to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijani territories before a final peace agreement is signed.
Reducing dependence on Russia could give Armenia more freedom to pursue its foreign and security policies. At the same time, leaving the CSTO would mean losing the formal collective defense commitments associated with membership.
Armenia is currently in an unusual position: it remains an official CSTO member but has frozen its participation and lost its voting rights. Although Pashinyan’s government has said it has lost interest in the alliance, Yerevan has not formally applied to leave the organization.
Leaving the CSTO would mark a significant shift in Armenia’s security policy and end its collective defense commitments with Russia and the alliance’s other members. The country would, however, need to strengthen its military capabilities and build alternative security partnerships.
