The Corridor After the War

As Armenia prepares for parliamentary elections in June, the contest unfolding here is about far more than party platforms and campaign slogans. It has become a test of whether the small South Caucasus nation can consolidate its fragile democracy while resisting renewed pressure from Moscow — and whether Europe is willing to help.

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.

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.