On October 23, Steve Daines, the US Senator for Montana, stated that every American president since George H.W. Bush had pursued peace initiatives to resolve the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, but all had failed to achieve lasting results. Speaking at the "The US in the South Caucasus: Mapping New Strategic Opportunities" conference in Washington, Daines emphasized that some administrations did not adequately prioritize or allocate resources to the issue, while others were unable to bring both sides to mutual understanding. Referring to recent developments, Daines noted that in the current year, the Trump administration made peace in the South Caucasus a priority , with both Armenia and Azerbaijan seeking an independent future in partnership with the United States. He praised Steve Witkoff’s team for promptly engaging in negotiations and tackling the most difficult aspects of the peace process. The senator highlighted the introduction of an innovative initiative by American negotiators — the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) — designed to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, creating a new trade route that would benefit Armenia, Azerbaijan, and other regional states.