Lavrov to meet with CSTO MPs in Moscow
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, is set to meet with parliamentarians from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Moscow today.
The CSTO is an Eurasian military alliance consisting of six post-Soviet nations that have a collective security mandate, similar to NATO’s Article 5. The meeting comes just weeks ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
Despite no broader CSTO involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, expect Lavrov to attempt to garner support from CSTO member nations as the war turns into a new stage of protracted conflict. Other topics, including Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, are likely to be discussed as well.
Member nations of the bloc still hold deep scars of Soviet occupation and are hesitant to provide assistance to Russia, especially as many seek closer ties with the West. As such, no additional financial or military backing from an already divided and fragmented CSTO is likely to take place as a result of this meeting.
