Armenia announced plans to leave the Russia-dominated security alliance CSTO, further straining its relationship with Moscow.
The move follows similar exits by Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan in 1999. The remaining members of CSTO are Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed the decision during a parliamentary session, saying: “We will leave. We will decide when to leave. We won’t come back, there is no other way.”
Despite the strong statement, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan clarified that a full withdrawal had not yet been officially announced.
Armenia’s relationship with Russia has deteriorated after Azerbaijan’s military campaign in September reclaimed the Karabakh region, ending three decades of ethnic Armenian separatist rule.
Armenia accused Russian peacekeepers of failing to intervene, a charge Russia denied.
Pashinyan criticised CSTO for not protecting Armenia and suggested some members supported Azerbaijan.
“It turned out that its members failed to fulfil their obligations under the treaty and planned the war against us alongside Azerbaijan,” he said.
Russia is attempting to balance its relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Kremlin is upset by Armenia’s efforts to strengthen ties with the West, including joining the International Criminal Court, which has indicted Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
With Armenia’s planned departure, CSTO’s cumulative GDP now stands at $2.58trillion (£2trillion), significantly less than NATO’s $50.8trillion (£39.7trillion).