Discussions around Trump Route are speculations – Marat Bashirov

Speaking with Alpha News, political scientist Marat Bashirov commented on the joint statement regarding the Armenia-US Implementation Framework for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

“A multipolar world is being built, and this multipolar world implies that there are certain ‘umbrellas,’ and they are unconditional. As Trump says, there is the American continent, and that is the US umbrella. There are certain territories that are, well, located very close to Russia, particularly Armenia. This does not mean that we do not recognize Armenia’s independence, but it does mean that everything that happens in Armenia must be coordinated or considered in light of the interests, in particular, of Armenian citizens living Russia. It’s like with the United States: there is the US and there is Mexico; there is Russia and there is Ukraine; there is Russia and there is Belarus. Therefore, discussions about the route are just speculation—whether light or not so light,” the expert said.

According to the political scientist, any foreign policy activity of the Trump administration is dictated by the domestic political agenda of the United States.

“Everything Trump is doing today is a struggle for mandates in Congress. That is, there will be congressional elections this year, in November, I believe. And accordingly, this is a fight for those votes,” Bashirov emphasized.

Speaking about how the statements of the heads of the foreign policy departments of Armenia and the US may affect the South Caucasus region, Bashirov highlighted the special role of Iran.

“Everything concerning Armenia is being played out within a certain square, and that square is: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan (backed by Turkey), and Iran. Therefore, everything Rubio or someone from Trump’s team declares today is a play of the Iranian card—nothing more and nothing less,” Bashirov concluded.