U.S. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. pledged that his administration would mobilize the international community to sanction Azerbaijan, secure the safe return of Armenians to their Artsakh homeland, and support their right to self-determination, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In a 2.5-minute video statement titled “RFK Jr. On How to Avert War in Armenia,” the presidential candidate stressed, “I want to commit this country to the restoration of the sovereignty of Armenia and Artsakh, and to the restoration of its territory. Instead of starting another war somewhere, I want to stop one.”

The video is posted on RFK Jr’s 2024 presidential campaign YouTube channel and is also available on the ANCA YouTube channel.

“Empty condemnations of this ethnic cleansing campaign are not enough. Unlike the 1915 genocide, this one is reversible,” stressed RFK, Jr., who went on to note: “The U.S. government needs to organize and mobilize the global community to take action to ensure the safe return of Armenians to Artsakh and to defend their right to self-determination. This is a situation where peaceful sanctions could actually work. The U.S. still has leverage in that region, and it can use that power to mobilize all of the nations in that region to reverse this humanitarian tragedy. We should also seek the removal of the blockades in Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan. Armenia is a landlocked nation, and it needs access to ports and to the surrounding countries.”

“The ANCA welcomes Robert Kennedy, Jr.’s calls to sanction Azerbaijan and support the rights of Artsakh Armenians to self-determination and a safe return to their ancestral homeland,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive director of the ANCA. “More broadly, we value his emergence as a viable third 2024 option for Armenian American voters, especially given that two of the most likely major party candidates, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, both armed Azerbaijan’s genocide of Artsakh’s Christian Armenians.”

RFK Jr. is the latest 2024 U.S. presidential candidate to outline his position on Armenian American concerns dealing with Artsakh and Armenia. Last month, Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley joined with Vivek Ramaswamy in forcefully condemning Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh at The FAMiLY Leader Thanksgiving candidate forum in Iowa. The high-profile program was co-sponsored by the 120,000 Reasons Coalition, supported by the ANCA, united in exerting pressure on the White House, Congress, and the 2024 Presidential candidates to break U.S. official silence on Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian aggression.

Ramaswamy has been especially outspoken in spotlighting Azerbaijan’s forced displacement of Artsakh’s Armenians on the campaign trail, discussing the matter with Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan, and attending a 120,000 Reasons protest organized by the ANCA Eastern Region and AYF Eastern Region on the eve of the GOP presidential candidates’ debate in Miami, Florida. He recently attended an Armenian reception at Armenian Estates, in Genoa Township, OH, hosted by Tigran and Viola Safaryan and Steve and Erna Atikian. Longtime ANC-Ohio leader David Krikorian introduced Ramaswamy at the event, which was attended by Armenian Americans from across the Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland areas. RFK Jr. will join supporters of Armenia and Artsakh at a reception hosted by Mike Sarian on January 8th in California.