BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. The Hill has published an opinion article highlighting the strategic importance of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) and its role in strengthening US and Western engagement in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
The article was authored by Brenda Shaffer, a faculty member at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, and Svante Cornell, co-founder and director of the Institute for Security and Development Policy and a Senior Fellow for Eurasia at the American Foreign Policy Council.
"A year ago this month, President Trump launched the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, TRIPP for short, in partnership with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan," the authors write.
According to the article, TRIPP represents more than a transport route, reflecting US efforts to safeguard access to the heart of Eurasia and support the independence of countries in the region.
"This route is much more than a simple road; it represents an active American intent to safeguard access to the heart of Eurasia, helping partner countries maintain their independence and preventing Russia, China and Iran from dominating the strategically vital Caspian region," the article states.
The authors note that the route has gained additional strategic significance amid heightened geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine and military confrontation involving Iran.
"As the U.S. and Israel exchanged missile and rocket fire with Iran and Russia’s war on Ukraine intensified over the past year, TRIPP provided a narrow safe route above the Caucasus for global aviation between Europe and Asia," they write.
The article says the Trump administration is working to strengthen the security of the corridor and increase the American presence along it, with American companies expected to operate TRIPP for 99 years under a public-private partnership.
The authors describe TRIPP as a physical manifestation of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia and note that it forms part of the broader Middle Corridor connecting Europe and Asia.
"The TRIPP corridor links Azerbaijan, Armenia and Türkiye in a physical manifestation of the peace agreements signed last August at the White House, ending a 30-year conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan," the article reads.
The Hill article also highlights the growing importance of the Middle Corridor for global trade, particularly as it offers an alternative to major maritime routes affected by geopolitical risks.
According to the authors, TRIPP and the wider Middle Corridor can help reduce dependence on maritime chokepoints, while also providing access to energy and critical mineral resources in the Caspian region and Central Asia.
The article notes that Central Asia accounts for nearly half of global uranium production and has significant deposits of rare earth elements, while the Caspian region is home to oil and gas resources that could contribute to the diversification of global energy supplies.
"Western access to these resources depends on the Middle Corridor," the authors emphasize.
At the same time, the authors argue that the primary value of TRIPP is strategic rather than purely economic. They note that major energy and digital infrastructure may be developed farther north of the route, while remaining connected to Azerbaijan, Armenia and Türkiye.
"Instead, TRIPP should be conceived as a signpost of America’s return to actively engaging with a region where it has been largely absent in recent years," the article states.
The authors also call on Western partners, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea, to participate in strengthening the route and the wider Middle Corridor.
"The route and the wider Middle Corridor directly serve their security interests by ensuring that Russia, China and Iran do not assert control over the heart of the Eurasian continent," they write.
The article concludes that the development of alternative transport and energy routes can help reduce geopolitical vulnerabilities and strengthen economic and security ties between the West and the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
