Russia accused a longtime ally of 'distorting history' in an effort to break off relations with Moscow

Russia's foreign minister accused Armenia, a former ally, of "distorting history" in an effort to "break off" relations with Moscow.

Armenia recently stepped up its criticism of Russia. Last month, it said it had "frozen our participation" in the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

The Collective Security Treaty Organization is considered Russia's equivalent to NATO, and Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped it could rival the Western military alliance.

Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, told Russian newspaper Izvestia that the situation "does not inspire optimism," according to a translation by Ukraine's Kyiv Independent.