Armenian analyst flags U.S. defense sales to Azerbaijan after Trump-Aliyev meeting

Armenian political analyst Suren Sargsyan has pointed to a shift in U.S. policy toward Azerbaijan following a recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

In a social media post on Friday, Sargsyan noted that prior to the Trump–Aliyev meeting, there had been no public reports of a planned visit by U.S. Vice President JD Vance to Azerbaijan. According to Sargsyan, this changed after Trump announced that Vance would travel to both Armenia and Azerbaijan in February.

“Before yesterday’s Trump–Aliyev meeting, there were no reports about Vance’s planned visit to Baku. Now, Trump has announced that the vice president will also travel to Azerbaijan apart from Armenia,” Sargsyan wrote.

Sargsyan also highlighted Trump’s reference to U.S. defense exports to Azerbaijan, describing it as an outcome of the meeting.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the United States would strengthen its “strategic partnership with Azerbaijan” and sell U.S.-made defense equipment to the country, including body armor and boats. He also announced plans for a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement with Armenia, semiconductor industry deals benefiting U.S. manufacturers, and continued diplomatic engagement in the South Caucasus.

Trump thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for what he described as upholding a peace agreement signed last August and said the region now had “prosperity and peace” following the conflict.