The White House on Tuesday removed a social media post from Vice President JD Vance’s account that labeled the Armenian massacres as genocide, saying the message, which contradicts the policy of ally Turkey, was published in error.
Vance, who was on a two-day visit to Armenia, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, becoming the first US vice president to visit the South Caucasian republic.
He and his wife, Usha, laid a wreath of carnations, chrysanthemums and roses at the monument honoring the 1.5 million Armenians killed in the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
The vice president’s official account of Xu later described the visit as an act of “honoring the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.” After the post was removed, an associate of Vance’s, who wished to remain anonymous, said the post was mistakenly posted by staff who were not part of the delegation on the trip.
– The account is managed by staff and primarily serves to share photos and videos of the vice president’s activities – said Vance’s spokesman, adding that his views were best reflected in statements to reporters, in which he did not use the word “genocide.”
Turkey and the USA
Turkey acknowledges that many Armenians were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War I, but disputes the figures and denies that the killings were systematically organized as genocide. While the US Congress and Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump have previously recognized the 1915 massacres as genocide, Trump avoided the term in his statement last year.
Turkey is a US ally in NATO, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan maintains a close relationship with Trump, including support for US diplomatic initiatives in Gaza. Turkey’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The White House said there is “no policy change at this time” regarding the event, in line with Trump’s 2025 statement, which did not use the word “genocide.”
In Armenia, Vance signed an agreement with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that could pave the way for the construction of a nuclear power plant with US support.
When asked by a journalist if visiting the monument was an acknowledgment of the genocide, Vance replied: “Obviously, it is a very terrible event that happened a little over 100 years ago and something that is culturally very important for them. I thought that out of respect for the victims, but also for the Armenian government, a very important partner in the region, and Prime Minister Pashinyan, I want to visit the monument and pay my respects.”
Vance’s visit was aimed at promoting an agreement the Trump administration reached with Armenia and Azerbaijan to build peace after nearly 40 years of conflict between the Caucasian rivals. Trump has presented these diplomatic efforts as one of the key achievements of his administration.
On Tuesday, Vance traveled to Azerbaijan, where he signed a strategic partnership agreement that includes economic and security cooperation as the US seeks to expand its influence in a region where Russia was once a major power broker.
(Vijesti.ba)
