CNN —Armenia will leave a Russia-led military alliance, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed Wednesday, accusing members of the bloc of plotting with bitter rival Azerbaijan to start a war against them.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan reclaimed in full by force in September.
Russia has traditionally allied with Armenia, but their relations have soured in recent months while Moscow’s ties to Azerbaijan have deepened.
Pashinyan confirmed to lawmakers that Armenia will withdraw from the Russia-led military alliance.
Azerbaijan has also demanded that Armenia change its constitution to remove a reference to Karabakh independence, but Pashinyan has so far resisted the calls.
Persons:
Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, ” Pashinyan, Karen Minasyan, “, ”, Vladimir Putin, Pashinyan –, Azerbaijan –, Ilham Aliyev, Armenpress, Bagrat Galstanyan, ” Galstanyan
Organizations:
CNN, Security, Organization, European Union, Getty, AFP
Locations:
Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Moscow, United States, Soviet Union, Karabakh, Yerevan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Soviet, AFP, Nagorno, Aliyev