Russia sees no official signals that Armenia wants to withdraw from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led security bloc, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, TASS reports.
"We have heard a lot of speculation on this topic, including from, let’s say, pro-Western analysts in Armenia. But we have received no official signals on this matter," he told journalists answering a TASS question.
When asked whether Russia would be ready to defend Armenia if it comes under attack, the Kremlin spokesman noted, "If we are talking about Armenia’s territory, you know that we have commitments within the CSTO. You also know that after Armenia recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity within the 1991 borders, the situation there has somewhat changed and this should be taken into account too. This was Yerevan’s decision."
According to Peskov, Russia is not afraid of losing Armenia as its ally, since Moscow and Yerevan are still close. "No, [we are not afraid]. We were, are and I am sure will be close allies and partners with Armenia. We may have certain problems which need to be resolved, but this should be done as part of a dialogue because the dynamics of development and national interests of the two countries call for strengthening our allied relations and partnership," he stressed.
