Armenian leader announces plan to leave Russia-dominated security alliance as ties with Moscow sour

By AVET DEMOURIAN
Associated Press

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The leader of Armenia has declared his intention to pull out of a Russia-dominated security alliance of several ex-Soviet nations as tensions rise between the two allies. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday that his government will decide later when to leave the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a grouping that includes Russia and the former Soviet Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Amid the widening rift with Russia, Armenia earlier froze its participation in the alliance, canceled its involvement in joint military drills and snubbed CSTO summits. Pashinyan told parliament for the first time Wednesday that Armenia will leave the grouping altogether.