Yerevan withdraws CSTO funding, eyes EU alignment

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia has officially informed the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) secretariat that it will not sign a document concerning the alliance’s funding, according to Russian State Duma Deputy Alexei Zhuravlyov.

Zhuravlyov, first deputy head of the State Duma’s Defense Committee and member of the Rodina party, claimed Armenia’s move is aimed at courting the West, as reported by RIA Novosti.

“Yerevan is doing everything to curry favor with the West. The Armenian parliament even passed a formal resolution on joining the European Union,” he said.

According to Zhuravlyov, no European Union member state has such a resolution, as it is unnecessary even symbolically.

He also cast doubt on whether Armenia had ever made previous payments to the CSTO, citing the lack of publicly available data.

“They’re refusing to pay the CSTO now, but the question is—have they ever paid at all? There’s no such information in open sources,” Zhuravlyov said.

He recalled the CSTO’s role during the unrest in Kazakhstan, highlighting that Armenia sent 200 troops, who “heroically” took over an unguarded bread factory—marking the end of their involvement.

Finally, Zhuravlyov warned that if Armenia withdraws from the CSTO and cuts ties with Russia, it risks “being rapidly absorbed by neighboring countries with territorial claims,” adding that “neither NATO nor the EU will lift a finger to help.”