Ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections, Donald Trump has pledged “total” support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, unveiling a major infrastructure project aimed at boosting regional transit and prosperity.
Trump Backs Pashinyan’s Pro-Western Shift
On Wednesday, Donald Trump utilized the Truth Social platform to endorse Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, labeling him a “great friend and leader” who shares his vision for regional stability. Trump announced his “full and complete” support for Pashinyan’s re-election campaign, punctuated by the slogan “Make Armenia Great Again.”
The endorsement coincides with recent diplomatic efforts involving U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump revealed a joint U.S.-Armenian infrastructure initiative titled the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), which aims to reshape the South Caucasus and provide American energy firms access to routes connecting Central Asia to the United States.
Armenia’s Strategic Pivot from Moscow
Pashinyan’s administration has led a significant geopolitical shift, culminating in the Armenian parliament’s March 2025 vote to begin the integration process with the European Union. This move follows the deterioration of Armenia’s long-standing security ties with Russia, particularly after the Kremlin failed to intervene during the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The aftermath of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which international organizations have described as an ethnic cleansing, has left 100,000 Armenians displaced. The perceived failure of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to protect the population effectively paralyzed the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s influence in the region, leading Yerevan to suspend its participation and boycott military maneuvers.
High-Stakes Elections and Regional Integration
The upcoming June 7 parliamentary elections represent a critical test for Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party as it faces an opposition faction with several pro-Russian elements. The vote is viewed as a de facto referendum on the nation’s pro-Western orientation and its pursuit of peace with Azerbaijan.
While Trump’s endorsement provides a boost, the TRIPP project faces scrutiny within Armenia. Critics question the implications of a route that would traverse the southern part of the country to serve an Azerbaijani corridor—an infrastructure path connected to the region from which ethnic Armenians were displaced in 2023.