Vance is in Armenia, a country no sitting US president or vice president has visited before

Vice President JD Vance made a historic landing in Armenia on Monday, becoming the first sitting U.S. vice president to visit the South Caucasus nation as the Trump administration works to cement a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan while expanding economic ties in the region.

During the landmark visit, Vance and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed an agreement to advance negotiations on civil nuclear energy cooperation. The Vice President also announced that the United States is prepared to export advanced computer chips and surveillance drones to Armenia, alongside investments in the country’s infrastructure.

“Peace is not made by cautious people,” Vance declared during his visit. “Peace is not made by people who are too focused on the past. Peace is made by people who are focused on the future.”

The visit comes in the wake of a significant diplomatic breakthrough that occurred in August at the White House, where Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed their commitment to signing a peace treaty. While foreign ministers have initialed the text—indicating preliminary approval—the leaders have yet to formally sign the agreement, and parliamentary ratification remains pending.

A key component of the August deal centers on the creation of a major transit corridor dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.” This passageway would connect Azerbaijan’s mainland with its Nakhchivan exclave—territories currently separated by a 32-kilometer-wide strip of Armenian land. The corridor represents a critical step in resolving a territorial dispute that has spanned nearly four decades.

The conflict over the Karabakh region—internationally known as Nagorno-Karabakh—has been one of the most persistent territorial disputes in the post-Soviet space. Ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia had controlled the region since 1994. However, a six-week war in 2020 allowed Azerbaijan to regain partial control, followed by a decisive military operation in September 2023 that resulted in Azerbaijan’s complete recapture of the territory. The offensive prompted an exodus of approximately 120,000 ethnic Armenians to Armenia.

In a notable display of political support, Vance publicly endorsed Pashinyan ahead of upcoming Armenian elections and highlighted Armenia’s significance as one of the world’s oldest Christian nations. The endorsement signals the Trump administration’s interest in cultivating Pashinyan as a regional ally as it pursues its foreign policy goals in the South Caucasus.

Pashinyan expressed gratitude toward President Donald Trump and Vice President Vance, describing the visit as “of truly historic and symbolic importance” that “reflects the depth of the strong and strategic partnership forged between the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America.”

The Armenian leader also confirmed his acceptance of an invitation to participate in the first meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace scheduled for February 19 in Washington. This newly established group, founded by President Trump, is currently overseeing the implementation of a ceasefire plan in Gaza, indicating Armenia’s potential involvement in broader U.S. peace initiatives beyond its immediate region.

Vance and his wife, Usha, arrived in Yerevan following four days at the Winter Olympics in Milan. They received a formal welcome complete with a red carpet, honor guard, and delegation of officials. Armenian and American flags lined the route to the vice president’s meeting venue, though the visit was not without controversy—some demonstrators were visible, including one holding a sign questioning Trump’s allegiances.

Following his stay in Armenia, Vance is scheduled to travel to Azerbaijan on Tuesday, completing a diplomatic mission aimed at reinforcing the peace process between the two former Soviet republics while expanding American influence in a region traditionally dominated by Russian interests.