Armenian expert warns  of  U.S. push to oust Russia via Armenia-  Azerbaijan axis

ArmInfo.  International relations expert Suren Sargsyan believes that under Donald Trump's second administration, the United States, with the help of Armenia and Azerbaijan, has come close to gaining influence in the South  Caucasus and undermining Russia's position in the region. He shared  his insights on Facebook, summing up US Vice President J.D. Vance's  visit to Yerevan and Baku.

He noted that Vance's visit should neither be underestimated nor  overestimated, and that all that is needed is a proper understanding  of the nuances of US policy and interests. "It's noteworthy that it  was under Donald Trump's second administration that the United States  came close to achieving what all previous administrations had been  striving for  nearly 30 years-establishing influence in the South  Caucasus and dismantling Russia's position in the region. This was  not achieved by the George W. Bush administration, which exploited  the Georgian factor. However, today, there is a possibility that  something similar can be achieved with the help of Armenia and  Azerbaijan," Sargsyan noted.

Speaking about the agreements reached during Vance's visit, the  expert expressed his belief that the United States will not directly  invest in Armenia, but will grant a " green light" to American  companies to sell billions in technologies and goods. "Currently, the  Trump administration is actively attracting investment worldwide by  selling American goods, weapons, and technology to various  countries," Sargsyan said.

He also pointed out that Vance supports neither Armenia nor  Azerbaijan; he is advancing US geopolitical interests from Central  Asia to Europe, some of which are routed through the Trump Route for  International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). The expert called this a  completely normal practice and added that the US Vice President,  following the same logic, does not support Armenian Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan, but supports those who serve an agenda favorable to  the US. "For the US, Armenia and Azerbaijan are on the same plane of  interaction, though Azerbaijan's importance  is weighed more heavily  for many reasons. As already mentioned, the US government does not  make direct investments; it provides a "green light" for foreign  investment and issues permits for the export of technologies. This  applies to both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Who will benefit from these  opportunities depends on the capabilities of the authorities of each  country," Sargsyan clarified.

The expert then commented on Vance's statement regarding Armenian  prisoners of war (he promised to raise this issue in Baku - ed.).  Sargsyan noted that, in terms of its content, it remained mere words,  which is unfortunate for a leading US presidential candidate. "The  defensive and reconnaissance weapons supplied to Azerbaijan are not  intended against Armenia, but to protect the maritime and land border  with Iran. As for the deleted post about visiting the Tsitsernakaberd  Genocide Memorial, this is a very frivolous step and an oversight on  the part of Vance's team," the expert believes. Sargsyan also  criticized Vance's commentary on Armenian domestic elections, calling  it a mistake given Washington's own decade-long sensitivity to  foreign electoral meddling.