Senate votes to stop Azerbaijan aid waiver amid Armenia invasion fears

Senators unanimously passed legislation last week that would cut off U.S. security aid to Azerbaijan for the next two years amid growing concerns that it may invade southern Armenia in the near future.

The Senate passed the Armenian Protection Act by unanimous consent with little fanfare on Wednesday. The bill, introduced by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., would bar President Joe Biden from issuing a waiver in fiscal 2024 and FY25 needed to unlock Azerbaijani security assistance.

The vote comes after more than 100,000 Armenians fled the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region after Azerbaijan placed them under siege for more than nine months in what Armenia has described as ethnic cleansing.

“We must send a strong message and show our partners around the world that America will enforce the conditions that we attach to military aid,” Peters, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “If we do not take action when countries willfully ignore the terms of our agreements with them, our agreements will become effectively meaningless and toothless.”