US senate votes unanimously to suspend Azerbaijan's military assistance
The Biden administration has balked at authorizing additional military assistance to Baku in the wake of the September Nagorno-Karabakh war, and lawmakers are pushing for a two-year moratorium.
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in the US Senate on Thursday voted unanimously in favor of a bill that would halt US military aid to Azerbaijan for the next two fiscal years.
If passed by the House and signed by the president, the bill, known as the Armenian Protection Act of 2023, would block the State Department’s ability to issue a waiver required under existing law in order for the United States to send military aid to Baku.
The measure, introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), received bipartisan support.
Why it matters: The vote is Congress' clearest move yet to block US military assistance to Baku in the wake of its swift military takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh in September.
