Opinion: Resolving conflict between Yerevan and Baku allows  Washington to deprive Russia of key levers of influence in South  Caucasus

ArmInfo. The resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict allows Washington to deprive Russia of  key levers of influence in the South Caucasus, according to  Americanist Suren Sargsyan.

Regarding the chances of implementing the Trump Route for  International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project at this stage, the  expert noted that the Trump administration has achieved a level of  activity and engagement in the South Caucasus and Central Asia that  no American administration has achieved since 1992.

He acknowledged, however, that this is due not only to favorable  geopolitical conditions, but also because Russia is focused on the  war in Ukraine, as a result of which its involvement and influence in  the South Caucasus and Central Asia have significantly weakened. "The  same applies to Iran. This circumstance also allowed the Trump  administration to play a more active role in the region. However, two  key factors that made this process unprecedentedly fast and effective  are also crucial here," Sargsyan asserted.

According to him, the first factor is Steve Witkoff. The Americanist  noted that, according to available information, Witkoff himself is  one of the architects of TRIPP. "The idea of connecting Central Asia  with Turkey and Europe through TRIPP is also attributed to his team.  This initiative has not only economic and transport significance, but  also a significant geopolitical component. It is also important that  Witkoff maintains direct contact with Trump, thanks to which, at the  initial stage of the project (February 2025), bureaucratic and  subordination problems did not arise. In turn, the resolution of the  Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict allows Washington to deprive Russia of  its most important levers of influence in the South Caucasus - the  ability to play a role in the continuation of the conflict," Sargsyan  noted. The second important factor in this process, according to the  American studies expert, is the Trump administration's management  style, which is characterized by a significant reduction in  bureaucratic processes, especially in the implementation of key  issues, including the use of force (remember how quickly the Panama  Canal, Venezuela, and a number of other outstanding issues were  resolved).

"Decision-making processes are carried out as quickly as possible,  without traditional bureaucratic delays, which allows for the prompt  advancement of such large-scale geopolitical projects and their  decisions. In this context, President Trump's personal involvement in  these processes also plays a crucial role. At the same time, Marco  Rubio leads not only the State Department but also the National  Security Council, which facilitates closer coordination of foreign  policy and national security systems. As a result, competition  between various agencies and lengthy interagency agreements are  minimized, and decision-making and implementation become faster and  more effective," he asserts.

The expert believes that neither Trump nor key members of his team  have ever been bureaucrats. Sargsyan added that it is precisely this  circumstance that allows them to understand how bureaucracy  complicates not only political decision-making but also their  implementation, even when it comes to matters of urgent and strategic  importance.

"In this regard, the current administration compares favorably with  all previous administrations, without exception. These are, of  course, key factors, but not all of them.

Of course, there are a number of factors hindering the implementation  of TRIPP, even with such serious efforts, but I will discuss them in  a separate publication," Sargsyan concluded.