Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, during a press conference today, again hinted that Armenia may pull out of the Russian-led CSTO military alliance.

Pashinyan argued that there is no CSTO observer mission in Armenia because the organization has no clear understanding of Armenia’s sovereign territory.

The prime minister’s remark is a veiled swipe at CSTO’s inaction to come to the aid of Armenia when Azerbaijani troops crossed the border into Armenia and now effectively control these areas.

Since the end of the 2020 Karabakh war, Azerbaijani forces have taken at least 215 square kilometers of Armenia’s sovereign territory.

Referring to participation in CSTO military exercises, Pashinyan said the issue is under discussion.

"Our perception is that CSTO has left or is leaving Armenia. If Armenia makes a de jure decision to withdraw from CSTO, it will happen because we record the fact that CSTO has left Armenia. I mean, first, the organization's obligations," he noted.

Pashinyan also denied recent claims by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the West is prodding Yerevan to sever relations with Moscow.