Sputnik/Vladimir Smirnov/Pool via Reuters via third part
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan indicated Monday that he could withdraw his country from a Russian-led military alliance, in a sign that the military group’s fissures might soon erupt into a big problem for the Kremlin. "I am not ruling out that Armenia will take a decision to withdraw from the CSTO," Pashinyan said, referring to the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). His remarks coincide with speculation that Armenia and Azerbaijan could soon settle on a peace deal after decades of violent conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia is formally an ally of Russia, but has repeatedly called on Russia to do more to broker peace. The prime minister is slated for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Moscow later this week.
