According to Russian newspaper Izvestia, President Vladimir Putin proposed launching a large-scale program to supply the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) with Russian weaponry during a summit in Bishkek on November 27. Separately, the publication reported that the European Commission confirmed the EU continues working on new anti-Russian sanctions, with the European Parliament indicating at least three new packages could be adopted in 2026.
During his address at the CSTO summit, Putin called for initiating a broad program to equip the organization's Collective Forces with Russian weapons systems that have "proven their effectiveness in the course of real combat operations." Participants adopted a final declaration outlining unified positions on key international and regional issues, with central topics including countering extremism, terrorism, and external threats.
Experts emphasized the particular relevance of such an initiative for certain member states. "Right now, member states of the organization have vastly different and sometimes outdated armaments, in part inherited from the Soviet period," Darya Saprynskaya, a research fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia. She noted that while Kazakhstan and Belarus have actively modernized their forces, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia experience clear shortages of modern communications systems, reconnaissance capabilities, counterterrorism equipment, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Alexander Korolev, Deputy Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics, added that implementing such a program would significantly enhance the overall combat readiness of national contingents and the CSTO Collective Forces.
Meanwhile, the European Union shows no signs of easing its pressure campaign against Moscow. "Undoubtedly, the EU still intends to work on further sanctions until President Putin agrees to sit at the negotiating table," the European Commission stated.
European Parliament member Tomas Zdechovsky from the European People's Party told Izvestia that while the exact number of sanctions packages remains difficult to predict, at least three new packages could be approved in 2026 if the conflict continues or intensifies.
However, Russian analysts suggest economic competition, rather than the Ukraine crisis alone, drives the EU's approach. Egor Sergeev, a senior research fellow at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, argued that sanctions function not only as a political tool but also as a new form of competitive struggle, reflecting the EU's broader approach to competing with Russia.
Given the geopolitical climate, Putin also proposed that CSTO member states hold an international expert forum in 2026 dedicated to Eurasian security architecture. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko described the situation on western frontiers as resembling a "besieged fortress," highlighting alliance concerns about NATO activities near their borders.
Photo: Izvestia