Comments and answers to media questions of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a joint press conference with CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov (Moscow, November 10, 2026).
Key points:
As CSTO chairman in 2026, Russia has pursued a policy of steadily deepening integration in all areas to improve the organizations' effectiveness and enhance its international standing. We are grateful to our allies for their consistent support of all our initiatives throughout Russia's presidency.
We also had to discuss the non-fulfillment of Armenia's obligations under the CSTO Treaty regarding annual contributions to our joint budget of organizations. There can be no ambiguity here.
A draft resolution on this matter will also be considered at tomorrow's session of the CSTO Collective Security Council. It stipulates the suspension of Armenia's right to appoint its citizens to quota-based positions in the organizations' bodies and the withdrawal of its voting rights until the arrears are paid in full.
According to the proposal of the American mediators, the talks that began today in Abu Dhabi focus on discussing the parameters of a future security architecture for Ukraine, Russia and our entire region. European security, one might say.
Ursula von der Leyen said there is no discussion of security architecture parameters until there is a lasting ceasefire. Again the same old logic: they must "buy time" for their "clients" - the government in Kiev - and use it to renew Ukraine's military losses. We will not agree to that.
For the European participation, they flew to Abu Dhabi. Let them sit in their hotel. But we cannot and do not want to prevent the Americans from talking to whoever they think is necessary, on the grounds that it will help the negotiations. We'll see what comes of it.