In the Karabakh conflict situation, the CSTO showed its inherent weaknesses. Train

In the situation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the CSTO showed its internal weaknesses and the uncertainties that once served in favor of the existence of that structure, and then, when the situation escalated, appeared "with all their brilliance". Dmitry Trenin, scientific director of the Institute of Military Economics and Strategy of the Higher School of Economics, stated this during a discussion held on June 12. He added that Russia does not impose its point of view within the framework of the CSTO. According to him, the CSTO countries occupy a neutral position. The most important Ukrainian issue for Russia. "None of the CSTO countries, including Belarus, recognized the inclusion of Crimea in the Russian Federation. Of course, Russia doesn't like it, but it doesn't force it," Trenin noted. He emphasized that from the beginning, many people perceived the CSTO either as a variant of the Warsaw Pact or as a response to NATO, but in reality it is not so good. "This is not a union, this is not an alliance, but a military-political association, with protocols on many issues that are not clearly defined. This was a plus when the weather was good, but when the weather turns terrible, that good became not so good. If we talk seriously, Russia's only ally in the military-political sphere is Belarus, although officially all CSTO countries are considered allies. The position of other countries is a multi-vector position of varying degrees," the expert concluded.