Russia’s Foreign Ministry has effectively signaled that implementing the “Trump Road” without Moscow’s involvement would be “difficult.” The Russian side is preemptively outlining its zone of control, citing the presence of Russian border guards and Armenia’s infrastructural dependence on Russian structures, Minval Politika reports.
According to RIA Novosti, Mikhail Kalugin, Director of the Fourth CIS Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that Moscow is “ready for consultations” with Yerevan on the project’s parameters, while simultaneously putting forward conditions that, from Russia’s perspective, are necessary for the initiative to move forward. He noted that the project’s details still need to be studied, but that there are “more than enough grounds for Russia’s participation.”
Kalugin emphasized that the route in question includes a segment previously discussed within a trilateral working group, and that Armenia’s railway network is operated by South Caucasus Railway, a subsidiary of Russian Railways (RZD), under a concession agreement. In addition, the region uses the Russian railway gauge, and, according to Moscow, a significant part of the route passes through areas of responsibility of Russian border guards.
In closing, the Russian Foreign Ministry representative recalled Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), effectively linking the implementation of the initiative to obligations within Russia-led integration frameworks.
