Alexey Zhuravlyov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Defense Committee and member of the Rodina party, accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of giving up “everything generations of Armenians have fought for” under Western pressure.
Speaking to RIA Novosti, Zhuravlyov referred to the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” project, agreed upon by Armenia and the U.S., which includes creating a 40 km “Zangezur Corridor” linking mainland Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan through southern Armenia.
“Pashinyan voluntarily surrendered everything for which many generations of Armenians fought, simply because his Western masters wanted it,” Zhuravlyov said.
The MP claimed Armenia received “nothing from either Baku or Washington” in exchange, while the corridor was leased to the U.S. for 99 years. “Panama is a clear example of how such things end — after leasing the canal, the U.S. effectively controlled the country for decades. The same now threatens Armenia, whose own prime minister is selling it off wholesale and retail,” he added.
In Washington, Armenian, Azerbaijani, and U.S. leaders — Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, and Donald Trump — officially agreed to launch the Trump Route. Trump said the corridor would allow Azerbaijan to reach Nakhichevan “with full respect for Armenia’s sovereignty,” and that Armenia would establish an exclusive partnership with the U.S. to develop it. The lease term could be extended beyond 99 years, with major U.S. infrastructure investments expected to bring economic benefits to all three countries.
