Russia left off Armenia’s strategic ally list as Pashinyan cites 2022 crisis

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has for the first time addressed the absence of Russia as a strategic ally in the government’s program for 2026–2031, pointing to Moscow’s failure to meet what Yerevan viewed as its security commitments, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“Everything was right before your eyes. After the events of September 2022, talking about a strategic partnership would mean... If I had written that, you would have asked why Russia and the CSTO did not fulfill their contractual obligations in 2022. What would I say in response?” Pashinyan said.

The Kremlin has previously said Armenia is free to leave the CSTO if continued membership no longer corresponds to its national interests.

Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has also sharply criticized Yerevan’s policy, previously describing it as “cynical and deceitful.”

By Vafa Guliyeva