Armenian lobby moves again to undermine US-Azerbaijan partnership

Pro-Armenian lawmakers in the US House of Representatives are once again trying to slow the growing partnership between Washington and Baku.

The latest move comes in the form of proposed amendments to US national security appropriations bills for fiscal year 2027. The initiatives were introduced by members of the Armenian Caucus, including Frank Pallone, Gus Bilirakis, Gabe Amo and Jim Costa.

The proposed amendments target Azerbaijan on several fronts. They seek to restrict US military assistance to Baku, increase support for Armenia’s security sector and introduce new pressure mechanisms against Azerbaijan.

The Armenian National Committee of America has already announced that additional anti-Azerbaijani amendments may be introduced in the coming days. ANCA remains one of the main political forces behind such initiatives in Congress and continues to push a line that directly contradicts Washington’s current efforts to advance peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The timing is not accidental.

The United States has recently increased its diplomatic engagement in the South Caucasus. The Washington track, the strategic partnership agenda with Azerbaijan and the TRIPP project are all aimed at strengthening regional connectivity, supporting the normalization process and creating a new framework for stability between Baku and Yerevan.

The Armenian lobby is trying to move in the opposite direction.

Instead of supporting peace, it continues to revive the already closed Karabakh issue, promote sanctions against Azerbaijan and pressure US lawmakers into adopting one-sided measures. This approach does not help Armenia. It only keeps the region trapped in old conflict narratives.

Another recent initiative by pro-Armenian members of Congress also follows the same logic. A proposed amendment to US diplomatic service legislation seeks to portray former separatist leaders convicted in Baku as “prisoners of war” and “political prisoners” and calls for their release. The proposal was introduced by Brad Sherman and Brian Mast, both known for their pro-Armenian positions.

Such initiatives are designed not to support reconciliation, but to reopen issues that Azerbaijan considers settled after the restoration of its territorial integrity.

The broader political context is also important. During Armenia’s recent election campaign, influential circles in the Armenian diaspora openly or indirectly supported revanchist and pro-Russian forces opposed to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s peace agenda. This once again showed that parts of the Armenian lobby in the United States are not aligned with the current Armenian government’s stated course toward normalization.

For Azerbaijan, this is not simply a lobbying issue. It is an attempt to damage the strategic partnership between Baku and Washington at a time when both sides are expanding cooperation in energy security, transport, digital development, investment and regional connectivity.

However, the chances of these amendments moving forward appear limited. The House of Representatives is controlled by Republicans, and most Republican lawmakers support President Donald Trump’s foreign policy line. Measures that could damage the administration’s engagement with Azerbaijan are unlikely to gain broad support.

At the same time, Azerbaijan is not standing aside. Supporters of stronger US-Azerbaijan relations in Congress, including figures close to the MAGA movement, are pushing for the repeal of Section 907 and for legislation that would deepen the partnership between the two countries.

The contrast is clear.

While one group in Congress is trying to revive outdated restrictions and conflict-era narratives, another sees Azerbaijan as a key partner for US interests in the South Caucasus, energy security and Eurasian connectivity.

The Armenian lobby’s latest campaign is therefore unlikely to change the strategic direction of US-Azerbaijan relations. But it once again shows how actively anti-peace forces are working to disrupt the emerging regional order.

At a time when Baku and Washington are building a new partnership agenda, attempts to sabotage this process serve neither American interests nor the future of the South Caucasus.