Armenian expert: TRIPP and European integration are incompatible

ArmInfo.  It is time for Yerevan to understand the obvious truth that the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) project and European integration are incompatible. This was stated by Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Vage Davtyan.

According to him, this is essentially also indicated by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, who, speaking recently at an event organized by the Centre for European Political Studies in Brussels, formulated a long-awaited thesis: “candidate countries must sever ties with Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.”

“It is unlikely that anyone has any doubts that Washington’s foreign-policy ‘peace initiatives,’ as well as the corridors, bridges and channels named after Trump scattered across different regions

- are key constructs of MAGA’s foreign-policy dimension.

Unlike Yerevan, the EU reads geopolitical codes perfectly: MAGA implies abandoning the role of a global liberal hegemon in favor of hard pragmatism and economic protectionism. TRIPP is an elaborate reflection of this pragmatism,” the expert noted.

He recalled that the project’s objective is not so much to contain Iran and Russia as to contain Europe geo-economically, as Europe, especially since 2022, has been actively reassessing its foreign-policy strategy.

Davtyan believes that the main focus in this process is on finding new sources of hydrocarbon supplies, particularly from Central Asia.

“Hence the revitalization of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia international corridor and one of its components, the Middle Corridor. By building logistics along the East-West line, the EU is seeking access to the dynamically developing Asian markets, primarily the Chinese market, while simultaneously ensuring stable energy supplies—above all, natural gas from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Hence the active political and lobbying support for infrastructure projects to supply gas across the Caspian Sea to the South Caucasus and further westward through Turkey, including the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline project,” the expert noted.

Obviously, he continued, without the implementation of such alternative routes, not only will the Europe-Caucasus-Asia energy corridor be unable to operate in an economically viable mode, but even the existing Southern Gas Corridor will sooner or later face problems in securing the necessary volumes.

“For the United States, TRIPP is an opportunity to limit the EU’s ability to pursue an independent energy policy, which takes on especially clear contours given the distinctly expressed energy interests of the United States in the Old World. Today, the United States is the main supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, accounting for 57% of all imports. According to forecasts, this figure could reach 80% by 2028.

Diversification of Europe’s energy system through the import of gas from Asia

- is a direct challenge to the economic interests of the United States,” Davtyan added.

“Given that TRIPP is viewed as a potential diversification route for the Middle Corridor, while the Middle Corridor itself is one of the macro-regional priorities of the EU’s ‘Global Gateway>’ program, the clash between Washington’s and Brussels’ geo-economic interests is taking on quite concrete contours. In this sense, Marta Kos’s statement sounds entirely timely and appropriate. In this configuration, Armenia once again finds itself at a crossroads. On the one hand

- there is the goal of European integration, and on the other, plans to launch TRIPP.  Essentially, these are antagonistic goals,” Davtyan concluded.

It should be recalled that on August 8, 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint seven-point “Declaration on Peace” in Washington. It provides for a joint appeal to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to terminate the OSCE Minsk Process and its related structures, as well as the creation of a transport corridor through Armenian territory that will connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, surrounded by Armenia, Turkey and Iran. And on January 14, 2026, the Armenian Foreign Ministry published a framework document signed with the American side in Washington on the implementation of the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP). The 12-page document sets out the project’s main objectives and operating mechanisms.  Among other things, the document emphasizes that Armenia intends to authorize and support the establishment of TRIPP Development Company. At the same time, the company is expected to be responsible for developing the TRIPP project, receiving an initial development right for a period of 49 years. Armenia intends to offer the United States 74% of the shares in TRIPP Development Company, retaining 26% for itself. It is expected that this partnership will be extended for another 50 years, with an additional ownership stake granted to the Armenian government, bringing its share to 49%.