US President Donald Trump endorsed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on May 27 ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary election, praising him as “a great friend and leader” as Washington steps up its engagement in the South Caucasus.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Pashinyan “completely shares my vision of PEACE and PROSPERITY for Armenia and the entire South Caucasus region” and added that the Armenian leader had his “COMPLETE and TOTAL Endorsement for Re-Election on June 7, 2026”.
The endorsement comes as Armenia accelerates its shift toward Western partners after relations with traditional ally Russia deteriorated sharply in recent years.
Tensions with Moscow deepened following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Armenia’s accusations that the Kremlin-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) failed to support Yerevan during its conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia froze its participation in the CSTO in late 2024, while prosecutors in Yerevan alleged the same year that Russia had backed an attempted coup against the government.
Meanwhile, the US has sought to expand its diplomatic and economic influence in the region since Azerbaijan retook Nagorno-Karabakh in a 2023 military offensive that prompted more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee the enclave.
Trump hosted Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House in August 2025 for a peace summit aimed at normalising relations between the two South Caucasus rivals after decades of conflict. The summit produced a framework agreement on transport links, border demarcation and economic cooperation, though a final comprehensive peace treaty has yet to be completed.
On May 26, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Yerevan to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Armenia.
Trump also said Washington and Armenia would soon launch the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a proposed transit corridor linking Central Asia with Europe through the South Caucasus.
“Soon, the United States and Armenia will break ground together on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which will transform the South Caucasus,” Trump wrote.
The European Union has also increased its engagement with Armenia, hosting a summit in the country earlier this month as Yerevan pursues closer ties with the bloc. Ahead of the election, EU officials have warned of Russian interference in Armenia.
In recent days, Russian officials have stepped up their rhetoric over Yerevan’s overtures towards the EU, saying EU accession is incompatible with membership of the Eurasian Economic Union. Russia’s agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has banned imports of a number of Armenian items, while consumer protection authority Rospotrebnadzor has suspended sales of several Armenian alcoholic products, including wine and cognac from multiple Armenian producers.
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