In brief
JD Vance, the Vice President of the United States, made a groundbreaking visit to Armenia, the first by a sitting U.S. vice president or president. His arrival comes as the Trump administration seeks to solidify a new peace deal aimed at resolving decades of conflict with Azerbaijan. The visit included meetings with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to discuss reopening critical transport routes and reaffirm commitments to peace treaties. Despite initial agreements, ratification remains pending from both parliaments.
YEREVAN, Armenia (Deep Roots News) — Vice President JD Vance landed in Armenia on Monday — a historic moment as no sitting U.S. vice president or president has visited this nation before. This trip is part of the Trump administration's effort to facilitate a U.S.-brokered peace deal aimed at resolving conflicts with Azerbaijan.
The Vice President and his wife, Usha, received a warm welcome characterized by a red carpet, an honor guard, and a full delegation of officials. While driving to a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, they passed demonstrators, one of whom held a sign questioning U.S. support for controversial issues in the region.
Vance’s discussions with Pashinyan included a peace treaty and the reopening of critical transport routes to Azerbaijan, following an agreement signed at the White House in August. Although the treaty text has been preliminarily agreed upon, it awaits final signatures and parliamentary ratification.
After spending a few days in Milan for the Winter Olympics with family, Vance is scheduled to continue his trip to Azerbaijan.
The tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan escalated over 40 years, particularly over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, which had been under Armenian control. The 2020 conflict resulted in Azerbaijan regaining territory, and a recent September offensive further altered territorial control, leading to a mass exodus of Armenian residents from Karabakh.
Moving forward, the proposed transit corridor known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity aims to bridge geographical divide while promoting stability in the region.
