Russian President Vladimir Putin’s travels in East Asia this week are part of his efforts to fortify his strategic relationships and counteract the diplomatic isolation the West has tried to impose on him since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But as Putin visits North Korea and Vietnam, Moscow’s relationship with one of its geographically closest allies are fraying.
Last week, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced his decision to pull the former Soviet republic out of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, a bloc built on the ashes of the USSR that aimed to become a Moscow-centered answer to NATO.
Pashinyan has not given a date for Armenia’s formal withdrawal, but there are signs that the process is already underway. Yerevan has not paid its annual dues, and it has reportedly stopped participating in CSTO activities.