In an unprecedented move for a US president, Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of the country's high-stakes parliamentary elections on 7 June. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump described Pashinyan as a “great friend and leader” who is “making his country strong, wealthy, and very secure.” The endorsement marks the first time a sitting US president has backed a candidate in a nation traditionally within Russia's sphere of influence.
Trump linked his support to the historic peace agreement Pashinyan signed with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House last year, which ended decades of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. “Nikol completely shares my vision of peace and prosperity for Armenia and the entire South Caucasus region,” Trump wrote. He also referenced a critical minerals agreement signed earlier this week in Yerevan by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Armenian counterpart, signalling Washington's deepening economic and strategic engagement.
The US president went further, announcing plans for the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), a trade corridor designed to connect Central Asia to the United States via Armenia. “Soon, the United States and Armenia will break ground together on the Trump Route… which will transform the South Caucasus, and help our wonderful American energy companies gain access from Central Asia all the way to the United States,” Trump said. He ended his post with the slogan “Make (Armenia) Great Again — MAGA!”
A Geopolitical Pivot
Trump's endorsement echoes the stance of French President Emmanuel Macron, who during the recent European Political Community summit in Yerevan declared that Armenia's “turn toward Europe” heralds “the opening of a new era” for the South Caucasus nation. Under Pashinyan, Armenia has pursued a pro-Western course, normalising relations with both Azerbaijan and Turkey, while gradually distancing itself from Moscow.
Speaking at the White House alongside Trump, Rubio emphasised the strategic significance of the minerals deal. “We signed a critical minerals agreement with Armenia, a reminder of another war President Trump helped settle,” he said, referring to the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace accord. “We are seeing the emergence of a great new relationship with Armenia that really had grown stagnant for a long period of time.”
The rare-earth minerals, essential for modern technologies such as electric vehicle batteries and defence systems, give Washington a foothold in a region long dominated economically by Russia and increasingly courted by China. The TRIPP corridor, if realised, would offer an alternative trade route bypassing both Moscow and Beijing.
Pashinyan thanked Trump for the “high appreciation,” posting a response on X alongside the Armenian and US flags. The endorsement comes as the prime minister faces a fierce election campaign against an opposition bloc openly backed by Russia. The Kremlin has warned Yerevan that continued Western alignment could lead to the end of subsidised gas and oil supplies, as well as further bans on key Armenian exports such as mineral water, wine, and brandy — a tactic Moscow has previously employed against Georgia and Moldova.
Despite these threats, Pashinyan has avoided directly confronting Moscow. Instead, he has accused his opponents of colluding with foreign intelligence services. In a pointed rebuke to Belarusian leader Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who recently claimed that “Armenia is not needed by anyone,” Pashinyan retorted: “Armenia is no longer a country of thousands and tens of thousands, but a country of billions and trillions.”
The election on 7 June will determine whether Armenia continues its westward pivot or returns to Moscow's orbit. With Trump's endorsement and the new US deals, the stakes have never been higher for the South Caucasus republic.
