Armenia's Defense Summit Snub Regretted by Kremlin

The Kremlin expressed regret over Armenia's decision to skip a summit of the Moscow-led security alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), amid strained relations between the two countries. Russia worries that Armenia may withdraw from the alliance altogether. Tensions have been high since Russian peacekeepers did not intervene in Azerbaijan's offensive against ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan criticized the traditional security alliance with Russia and called for new partners. This snub adds to the growing strain in bilateral relations, following Pashinyan's absence from a summit attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin in October.