US Vice President Vance Attends Winter Olympics, Embarks on Diplomatic Trip to South Caucasus
Milan, Italy – US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Milan on Thursday to lead the US delegation at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which he hailed as a "unifying moment" for the country. Vance's visit to Italy coincides with a renewed US focus on international diplomacy, as he is scheduled to travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan later this month to promote peace and trade in the South Caucasus.
According to Vance, the Winter Games represent a rare opportunity for Americans to come together, as 22 heads of state prepared to attend Friday's opening ceremony. He told US athletes competing in the Games that the competition "is one of the few things that unites the entire country," according to Euronews.
Following the Olympics, Vance will travel to Armenia next Monday before visiting Azerbaijan later in February. This trip underscores Washington's renewed focus on the South Caucasus as it pushes to implement a peace framework agreed upon last year, Euronews reported. The visit highlights US efforts to promote trade, investment, and infrastructure in the region through the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity corridor (TRIPP). However, analysts believe that success will require strong governance and close cooperation between the countries involved.
Vance's diplomatic efforts come as the Trump administration continues to pursue initiatives aimed at securing critical resources and promoting US economic interests. The administration recently announced Project Vault, a $11.7 billion stockpile of critical minerals, according to TechCrunch. This initiative aims to ensure American businesses and workers are not harmed by shortages and follows recent investments in rare earth producers.
In other tech news, ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski stated that voice is becoming the next major interface for AI. Speaking at Web Summit in Doha, Staniszewski told TechCrunch that voice models have moved beyond mimicking human speech to working with the reasoning capabilities of large language models. He envisions a future where voice becomes the primary mechanism for interacting with technology, allowing people to immerse themselves in the real world.
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