On August 15, Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, stated that Russia supports Armenia regarding the "Trump route" if it aligns with Armenia’s interests. Overchuk emphasized that Armenia is a strategic ally and that Russia would back any initiative considered beneficial by Yerevan. "We are considering this issue. Armenia is our strategic ally. If Armenia believes that something is good for them, then, of course, we support it," he stated, adding that Russia supports peace processes in the South Caucasus that align with its national interests. Overchuk noted that, within the framework of the agreements reached, certain nuances may arise that require clarification with both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides.

Overchuk announced that he would travel to Yerevan next week to discuss Armenia’s work within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). "I am flying to Yerevan next week," he said, explaining that the visit was planned in advance and is connected to a legal act by the Armenian government that, according to Russia, contradicts EAEU law. He added that the trip would also allow for discussions on the outcomes of the recent Washington meeting and the signed declaration, including potential talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan regarding the unblocking of communications in the South Caucasus.

The Deputy Prime Minister underlined Russia’s interest in regional matters affecting its strategic goals, particularly the development of rail transport links. He further noted that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had recently visited Russia and that another visit from Pashinyan is expected in the near future. Overchuk also confirmed that he would meet with Azerbaijani officials at the end of next week to discuss unblocking transport communications in the South Caucasus. "I am also scheduled to meet with the Azerbaijani side at the end of next week. We will also consider these issues [unblocking transport communications in the South Caucasus] there. So, progress is underway," he stated, noting that the meeting would take place in Russia.

He emphasized the work of the trilateral working group, composed of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, which focuses on implementing the ninth point of the leaders' trilateral declaration. "Therefore, of course, we are interested to know how far the parties have advanced in resolving the issues discussed within the trilateral working group. Some nuances affect the interests of the Russian Federation in the South Caucasus, primarily in terms of developing rail communications. Therefore, it will be very interesting for us to hear whether solutions have been found for those nuances," Overchuk stated.

Concluding, he highlighted that once issues are resolved, technical and economic feasibility studies would need to be conducted, with trilateral coordination required to move forward on unblocking transport projects. "Then, of course, if all these issues have been resolved, we will need to conduct technical and economic feasibility studies, analyze the economics of these projects, and begin the work of unblocking them. But again, this will, of course, require trilateral efforts within the framework of the interaction that we had and have with Armenia and Azerbaijan," he concluded.