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In an unusual display of broad bipartisanship, the Senate
voted 100-0 to suspend aid to Azerbaijan for the next two years, amid concerns
that the country could soon invade neighboring Armenia.
All senators unanimously passed the Armenian Protection Act.
Senator Gary Peters (D-Michigan) introduced the legislation.
The passage of the measure follows the departure of more
than 100,000 Armenians from the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region due to the
Azerbaijani siege that has lasted more than nine months. Armenia has leveled
accusations of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan.
“We must send a strong message and demonstrate to our
partners around the world that the United States will enforce the conditions we
place on military aid,” Peters, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said
on the Senate floor. "If we fail to act when countries deliberately ignore
the terms of our agreements with them, they will lose all their value and
effectiveness."