Kremlin seeks clarity from Armenia after it freezes participation in CSTO

The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia is planning to contact Armenia after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Yerevan had frozen its participation in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) because the pact had failed the country.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Zvezda television channel on Friday that Moscow needed more details from Armenia, Reuters reported.

"The Armenian side has not taken any official action in this regard," he said, referring to the purported freezing of its CSTO participation.

"We intend to get in touch with our colleagues and clarify the meaning of these statements," Reuters quoted Peskov as saying.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in an interview with France 24 television, stated that the CSTO did not fulfill its security obligations towards Armenia, particularly in 2021 and 2022. He emphasized that could not go without consequences. Consequently, Yerevan has essentially frozen its participation in the CSTO in practice.