They cannot sit on two chairs for a long time: Russian media on Armenia-CSTO relations

Amid the cession of border villages, protests have been taking place throughout Armenia. It is noteworthy that the pro-Pashinyan media outlets and Telegram channels blame Russia, claiming that the protests are organized by “Kremlin agents”, ritmeurasia.ru writes.

“The Armenian authorities are sure that the CSTO is supposed to protect them, even if they are ceding territories,” reads the article.

Pashinyan thinks the infamous “freezing” of CSTO membership frees him from all obligations, while preserving all rights within the organization.

Pashinyan probably still has the understanding that its public withdrawal from the CSTO today means a new war with Azerbaijan that would be inevitable. At the same time, although the West is actively courting Armenia, it is clearly not going to provide any real security guarantees. An exit from the CSTO could significantly complicate relations with Moscow and provoke a withdrawal from the EAEU, which Armenia does not need until the EU offers suitable alternatives. The only thing that is obvious is that Moscow prefers to continue to express concern and regret about Yerevan’s behavior. “Perhaps this is the right tactic, which allows us not to give in to provocations and not to make mistakes. But Moscow’s patience is not endless,” the author concluded.