The Prospects of the CSTO to Become the Core of the Emerging Security Architecture in Eurasia

Abstract

The article analyzes the potential of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as a possible institutional foundation of the emerging Eurasian security architecture. The starting point of the study is the deepening crisis of the Euro-Atlantic security system, which, according to the author, has been caused by unilateral political and military-strategic decisions of the collective West, the expansion of military-political alliances, and the erosion of mechanisms of trust and arms control. In these conditions, the need to form a new, more stable and polycentric model of international security in Eurasia has been substantiated. The article examines the key principles of the Eurasian approach to security, among which particular importance is attached to the concepts of indivisible, common and mutual security, as well as to the principles of equal dialogue between states and the non-bloc nature of cooperation. Special attention is paid to the institutional and practical capabilities of the CSTO as an important mechanism for ensuring regional stability, including its system of collective forces, crisis response mechanisms, militarypolitical coordination, and experience in conducting joint operations and exercises. The author also analyzes the potential for interaction between the CSTO and other Eurasian integration structures and proposes a three-level model of security architecture in which the organization performs a central coordinating function at the military-political level. In conclusion, it is emphasized that the successful transformation of the CSTO into one of the key elements of the Eurasian security system is reflected in its ability to combine the principles of equal and indivisible security with openness to dialogue, institutional flexibility, and a readiness to cooperate with all interested states and regional associations in Eurasia.