Russia presses Armenia to decide soon on CSTO and trade bloc
Why it matters: Yerevan's EU push could force a break with Russia-led alliances and deepen its shift toward Brussels and Washington.
Russia raised pressure on Armenia to clarify whether it will stay in two Moscow-led blocs, saying a decision cannot be delayed as ties between the countries worsen. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Armenia's pursuit of European Union membership is incompatible with remaining in the Eurasian Economic Union. He also pointed to Armenia's frozen participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, unpaid membership fees and repeated absences from alliance meetings. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has moved Armenia closer to the EU and United States since losing faith in the CSTO after Azerbaijan retook Nagorno-Karabakh in 2024. A formal Armenian exit would mark a deeper rupture in Russia's influence in the South Caucasus.