Russia says Armenia remains a full CSTO member, ‘freeze’ of participation not legally possible

 Armenia remains a full member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and the notion of “freezing” its participation has no legal basis, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

“Armenia remains a full-fledged CSTO member with all its rights and obligations. There are absolutely no obstacles to resuming its active, normal participation in the organisation,” she said.

Zakharova described Yerevan’s statements about a “freeze” as “verbal juggling,” noting that such a mechanism does not exist in the CSTO’s legal framework.

Under the organisation’s charter, a member state may leave the CSTO only through the established procedure. If a country fails to meet its obligations — including accumulating budget arrears for two years — it may lose its voting rights and the ability to nominate citizens for quota positions until the debt is settled.

Armenia stopped taking part in CSTO activities in 2024–2025. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in February 2024 that a return to full participation was becoming “increasingly difficult, if not impossible,” arguing that the “point of no return” had already been passed.