ARMENIA February 10, 2026 – U.S. Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex in Yerevan today, marking the first-ever visit by a sitting U.S. vice president to Armenia.
During the solemn ceremony, Vance participated in a wreath-laying ritual, placing flowers including carnations, chrysanthemums, and roses at the eternal flame. The couple observed a minute of silence to honor the estimated 1.5 million Armenians killed in the mass atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.
The memorial, a key national symbol overlooking the capital, serves as both a tribute to the victims and a reminder of cultural resilience. Vance was received by Armenian officials, including Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan and Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Edita Gzoyan, along with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires David Allen.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Vance explained his decision to visit: “Obviously, I’m the first vice president to ever visit Armenia. They asked us to visit the site… I wanted to go and pay my respects.” He described the events as “a very terrible thing that happened a little over 100 years ago” and emphasized the site’s cultural importance to Armenians, while noting the Armenian government’s role as a key regional partner under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The visit forms part of a broader diplomatic push by the Trump administration to support peace efforts in the South Caucasus. It follows a U.S.-brokered framework to resolve the long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, particularly over Nagorno-Karabakh. Later on February 10, Vance traveled to Azerbaijan to sign agreements on economic, energy, and security cooperation, and to visit sites of importance there.
An official post from Vance’s X account initially described the memorial stop as honoring “the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide,” but it was quickly deleted. White House officials stated the wording was posted in error by staff not part of the delegation. In his on-camera remarks, Vance avoided the term “genocide,” focusing instead on respect for victims and hosts.
The episode highlights the sensitivity surrounding recognition of the Armenian Genocide, a designation that has strained U.S. relations with NATO ally Turkey, which rejects the label.
Vance’s trip underscores efforts to expand U.S. influence in the region amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, including deals like potential nuclear power cooperation with Armenia.
This historic visit has drawn mixed reactions, with some praising the gesture of respect and others questioning its implications for balanced diplomacy between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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