On November 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin clarified the Collective Security Treaty Organization's (CSTO) role regarding Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, asserting that the organization had no obligation to intervene militarily in Karabakh.

Putin said that the CSTO’s mandate is limited to protecting member states from external aggression and that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict did not meet this criterion. “The CSTO has nothing to do with it because there was no external aggression against Armenia itself. The CSTO is designed to protect member countries from external aggression. Armenia did not recognize Karabakh as an independent state and did not include it in its perimeter. So, it is a bit strange to claim that the CSTO should fight on the territory of this enclave,” he said.

Despite Armenia’s absence from the CSTO summit in Astana, Putin expressed confidence that Armenia would eventually return to full-scale participation. He emphasized that Armenia has not officially withdrawn and continues to support the summit’s documents.

Commenting on Armenia’s non-participation, Putin stated that each country has the sovereign right to determine its security policies. Armenia's absence from the CSTO summit highlights its evolving stance within the organization.