The opening of a new transit route between Armenia and Russia through Abkhazia, a Moscow-backed separatist region in Georgia, has become a controversial topic in the South Caucasus. Supporters of this plan, referred to as 'Putin's Route', argue that the revival of north-south railway lines could bring more economic benefits to Armenia.
Support for the 'Putin's Route' Plan
Aram Safaryan, director of the Russia Studies Center at Yerevan State University, supported the proposal to create a transit corridor known as 'Putin's Route' at a conference on the future of transportation routes in the South Caucasus. He considered recent geopolitical developments as an opportunity to revive regional railway lines.
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Pro-Russian Armenian commentators say that the north-south corridor, known as 'Putin's Route', will be more economically beneficial for Armenia than the 'Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity', a project supported by the United States.
Proposals and Challenges
Safaryan referred to the proposal by Vladislav Gasumyanov, suggesting that 'non-political methods' could be used to advance this plan and achieve progress in reopening railway and road lines between Russia, Georgia, and Armenia. He did not specify what these 'non-political methods' would entail.
Tatul Manaseryan, head of the Alternative Research Center, also emphasized the need to assess Georgia's national interests in reopening the railway line during the same meeting. He believes that Armenia should seriously consider this proposal and deemed Yerevan's silence regarding such an initiative inappropriate.
However, other experts present at the meeting stressed that developing the north-south transportation route could be more beneficial for Armenia than the TRIP project, known as 'Trump's Route for International Peace and Prosperity'. The TRIP project aims to connect mainland Azerbaijan through southern Armenia to the exclave of Nakhchivan and then to Turkey.
Ultimately, Armenian media first reported on 'Putin's Route' in May 2026, and discussions surrounding this plan continue. This new transportation axis has been introduced as a competitor to the TRIP project and could bring new challenges to the political and economic relations in the South Caucasus.
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