Vice President Vance Begins Key International Tour in Milan
Vice President JD Vance arrived in Milan with his family on Thursday, beginning a trip that combines diplomatic duties with attendance at sports events. Vance is leading President Donald Trump’s delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
Following the Milan leg, Vance is scheduled to travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan. The purpose of this visit is to support a peace agreement between the two nations, which was brokered by the White House last year.
According to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, this week-long trip may be one of a limited number of international trips for Vance this year, as the administration plans to focus more on domestic issues and travel in the lead-up to the November midterm elections.
Winter Olympics Engagement
On Thursday, Vance is set to meet with U.S. athletes participating in the Winter Games and observe the U.S. women’s hockey team's preliminary game against Czechia.
The U.S. delegation for the opening ceremony on Friday will be led by Vance and includes Second Lady Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta. Former Olympic gold medalists such as hockey players Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, speedskater Apolo Ohno, and figure skater Evan Lysacek are also part of the delegation.
Vance's participation in the Winter Olympics follows a precedent set by former Vice Presidents, including Joe Biden (Vancouver 2010) and Mike Pence (Pyeongchang 2018). Former Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics due to a diplomatic boycott by the Biden administration over human rights concerns.
Promoting Peace in the Caucasus
In Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vance's mission is to further the peace agreement, which aims to resolve four decades of conflict. The agreement seeks to enhance the U.S. position in the region.
Key aspects of the deal include the reopening of transportation routes, increased cooperation with the United States in energy, technology, and the economy, and the establishment of a transit corridor. This corridor, named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, is intended to connect Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave, separated by Armenian territory.
Precedent and Strategic Role of Vice Presidential Travel
Vance undertook a similar peace-building assignment in October, traveling to Israel weeks after a ceasefire in the conflict with Hamas in Gaza to reiterate the Trump administration’s commitment. Last year, Vance also visited France, Germany, Greenland, India, and the U.K., and made two trips to Italy, where he met Pope Francis and later his successor, Pope Leo XIV.
Foreign trips for Vice Presidents often involve locations and tasks that differ from presidential foreign travel. Marc Short, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Pence, noted that such trips can sometimes involve unexpected elements, like an informal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (2018) or filling in for the President during a crisis, such as monitoring Hurricane Dorian (2019).
Short emphasized the importance of the United States being represented by the highest available official, often the Vice President, given the President's extensive responsibilities.