Biden’s Long Legacy of Support to Armenians Is on the Line

Azerbaijan’s military attack on September 18 and plan to allow residents out through the Lachin Corridor is part of its well documented policy to depopulate the region through ethnic cleansing, while violating Armenians’ right to unimpeded movement. What’s more, the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo referred to the Lachin Corridor blockade as a genocide as it impedes “access to any food, medical supplies, and other essentials” into Nagorno-Karabakh.

As a former advisor on the Biden-Harris national security transition team, I saw President Biden’s conviction firsthand when it came to recognizing the Armenian Genocide and taking decisive action after the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. While the Biden Administration’s actions in 2021 were instrumental in bringing some stabilization to the region, the United States government must urgently retool its diplomatic approach and policy posture to stop violent ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and embrace Armenian’s Western’s pivot.

A greater US role in the region is also in the strategic interest of the United States.  With Moscow’s diminishing power, the US can assert a greater influence in a Russian-dominated security architecture, and provide security guarantees and an alliance-level partnership with Armenia to support its territorial integrity and democratic values.

At the United Nations and through direct diplomacy, the United States must prioritize upholding the rights and securities of the Armenian in Nagorno-Karabakh, including through the opening of a humanitarian corridor, and deploying international peacekeepers to guarantee the humanitarian and security needs of Armenian citizens, and the preservation of Armenian Christian churches and culturally significant monuments.

In recent weeks, Yerevan recalled its representative to the Collective Treaty Security Organization (CSTO) and sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine, further demonstrating its receptivity to deepen ties with the US. With a policy review toward Armenia, the United States must also reevaluate its policy posture with Azerbaijan, in light of its coziness to Russia. Punitive actions, including halting US arms and aid to Azerbaijan and Turkey, and imposing sanctions must seriously be on the table for the gross violations of human rights and destruction of cultural heritage.

For over a century, the United States has been home to a large and growing Armenian community who have contributed to America’s economic growth, ethnic diversity, and cultural richness. For months, many of us have taken to the streets in cities across the US to demand greater US leadership, more accountability and stronger representation in Washington.