Putin approved the establishment of joint Armenian-Russian group of forces
Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the proposal by the Russian government to form an Armenian-Russian joint group of forces. The corresponding document was published on November 14 on the official website of Russian legal information.
On June 30, 2016, the Armenian parliament ratified the government’s decision to join Russia’s air safety system.
Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Moscow is stepping up its military cooperation with the CSTO countries at a time when relations with the West are strained.
Relations between Moscow and the West have deteriorated since 2014, after the Russian annexation of the Crimea.
Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of supporting pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas. Moscow denies the charges, saying that there are no members of the Russian military in the Donbas, only “volunteers.”