Armenia Heads Into Parliamentary Elections as Europe Moves to Counter Russian Influence

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s trip to the capitals of Armenia and Azerbaijan is set to have serious and long-term consequences for the South Caucasus region.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance visited Armenia over the weekend and Azerbaijan, underscoring Washington’s expanded diplomatic, economic and security engagement in the South Caucasus as it seeks to lock in post-conflict integration, anchor east–west connectivity and curb the region’s historic dependence on Russia.

In Abu Dhabi, Armenia and Azerbaijan Test a New Map of Peace

When Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, confirmed Baku’s participation in Donald Trump’s newly created “Peace Council,” the decision initially seemed unexpected. The organization emerged from an American plan for Gaza, it has already faced accusations of undermining the United Nations, and its structure is explicitly personalized around Trump himself.