World · Europe · 19 hrs ago
Russian diplomat says Armenia is shifting responsibility to CSTO members
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin accused Armenia of shifting responsibility for its decisions onto other members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO.
The CSTO is a regional alliance whose members cooperate on security and other shared issues.
Armenia has frozen its participation and stopped paying fees, but Pankin said it remains a full member.
He said Russia continues to invite Armenia to take part in the alliance’s decisions, but has seen no reciprocal effort.
The CSTO charter allows members to lose voting rights until they pay outstanding fees.
The alliance’s leaders are due to meet in Moscow on November 11, at the end of Russia’s presidency of the group.
They plan to consider documents to strengthen the CSTO and discuss regional and international issues.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin accused Armenia of trying to shift responsibility for its decisions onto other members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
Pankin said Armenia had frozen its CSTO membership and was not paying fees but remained a full-fledged member.
He said Russia continued to offer Armenia a role in CSTO decision-making but saw no reciprocal effort.
Pankin said the CSTO Charter allows a member to lose its voting rights until it pays outstanding fees in full.
A CSTO summit is scheduled to take place in Moscow on November 11.
- Who
- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin made the accusation about Armenia.
- What
- Pankin said Armenia was trying to shift responsibility for its decisions onto other CSTO members.
- When
- Pankin made the comments in an interview published November 8, 2026; the article’s dateline says November 9.
- Where
- The article is datelined Moscow. The location of the interview is not stated.
- Why
- Pankin said Russia saw no reciprocal effort from Armenia to take part in CSTO decision-making.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
TASS published its report on Pankin’s interview.
The article’s dateline says Pankin spoke from Moscow.
A CSTO summit is scheduled to take place in Moscow.
- Accuser
- Alexander Pankin, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
- Organization
- Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
- Armenia’s status
- Frozen its CSTO membership; remains a full-fledged member, according to Pankin
- Outstanding fees
- Pankin said Armenia had not been paying fees
- Summit
- Scheduled for November 11 in Moscow
What people are saying
Unfortunately, we see no reciprocal effort from the Armenian side
Rather, it is the other way round - new attempts are being made to shift the responsibility for the decisions that they make onto others