Russian Ally's Latest Comments Show Growing Tension With Putin

Tensions seemed to grow more fraught between allies Russia and Armenia after the latter's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan distanced himself from Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent comments.

Roughly 120,000 ethnic Armenians are set to enter the country from Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that separatists had long claimed for Armenia, but which has long been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. The neighboring nation last week declared full control of the region and launched a lightning offensive to take it. Following a victory for Azerbaijani forces, the region's Armenians are set to depart, fearing the possibility of ethnic cleansing.

In comments made during a national address on Sunday, Pashinyan signaled an intention to move Armenia's foreign policy away from Russia, calling its security alliance "ineffective" and "insufficient." Armenia is among the former Soviet Republics that make up the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance in which member nations pledge to support one another in the event of an attack.

However, with Russia's military might preoccupied with the invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin declined to send troops to Nagorno-Karabakh, citing the Armenian government's own recognition of the region as Azerbaijani.

"The systems of external security in which Armenia is involved are ineffective when it comes to the protection of our security and Armenia's national interests," Pashinyan said. "It has become evident to all of us that the CSTO instruments and the instruments of the Armenian-Russian military-political cooperation are insufficient for protecting external security of Armenia. We must transform and supplement the instruments of Armenia's external and domestic security, in cooperation with all the partners who are ready for mutually beneficial steps."

Newsweek reached out to Russian officials via email for comment.

Alongside Russia and Armenia, the CSTO boasts the membership of four other former Soviet territories: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The alliance was formed in 2002 and, in addition to the agreement to supply military aid, it prohibits its members from joining other military alliances, like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Conflicts have flared up twice between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh since the fall of the Soviet Union, most recently in 2020. In September 2022, the Armenian government invoked Article 4 of the CSTO, which states that "aggression against CSTO member states is considered by other participants as aggression against everyone," therefore acting as a call for military aid. Pashinyan has been openly critical of Russia's minimal response since then, with some protestors in the country calling for its withdrawal from the agreement.