Moscow: “Trump Route” requires detailed review before discussion

Russia will only discuss the US-proposed transport corridor between Armenia and Azerbaijan, known as the “Trump Route,” once it has reviewed the project in detail, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Speaking at a press briefing, Zakharova stressed that Moscow needs to review the concrete plans before forming a clear view of how the route would operate in practice, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“We would like to emphasise that a final understanding of how this transport corridor will function can only be formed once we have familiarised ourselves with the specific details of the project. This has not yet happened,” Zakharova said.

She also highlighted that involvement of non-regional actors in the South Caucasus, including in efforts to unblock communications, should prioritise the interests of the countries in the region and their immediate neighbours.

Zakharova further noted that several factors must be taken into account.

Armenia is part of the Eurasian Economic Union’s single customs space, the South Caucasus Railway is a subsidiary of Russian Railways, and Russian border guards provide security in the area where the route is expected to pass, under international agreements.

On August 8, 2025, a summit in Washington hosted by US President Donald Trump brought together Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The leaders signed a joint declaration outlining a seven-point framework focused on sovereignty, territorial integrity, and renunciation of force. Their foreign ministers also initialled a draft “Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations” in the presence of Trump, Aliyev, and Pashinyan.

A key component of the agreement is the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), also referred to as the Zangezur Corridor — a transit link through Armenia’s Syunik province connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev