So why is JD Vance in Armenia?

Vance just became the highest-ranking U.S. official ever to visit Armenia — and he brought with him a lot of deliverables.
Standing beside Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Vance confirmed an $11 million deal for U.S.-made V-BAT reconnaissance drones — the first ever confirmed sale of American military equipment to Armenia.
Vance also said Armenia and the U.S. have completed negotiations on a “123 Agreement” for civil nuclear cooperation — a deal he said could lead to up to $9 billion spent on energy security. He highlighted the use of newly-developed small modular reactor technology rather than a full plant, adding that Armenia is “one of the few countries” where the U.S. feels confident enough to bring that technology.
Vance also pointed to U.S. approval for export licenses for high-powered NVIDIA chips to power AI centers in Armenia — saying these are chips “that simply do not exist in most countries.”
Vance advised moving toward future prosperity by making peace, rather than being “too focused on the past”- though he did end his trip with a visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial.

Now Vance heads to Azerbaijan, where he’s been urged to press for the release of Armenian prisoners held there. Will he say the tough things needed in Baku?