Claim restated: The U.S. State Department media note (Feb 7, 2026) said Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg would join Vice President J.D. Vance in
Milan,
Italy;
Yerevan, Armenia; and
Baku,
Azerbaijan on Feb 9–11, 2026.
Evidence and timeline: Vice President Vance was in Milan for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and was scheduled to continue to
Armenia and Azerbaijan on Feb 9–11; the State Department note names
Helberg as accompanying him. Major outlets (AP, Reuters) confirm Vance’s travel and schedule, and regional outlets reported the VP’s Armenia/Azerbaijan itinerary.
Current status (as of 2026-02-09): The trip is underway and officially scheduled, but I did not find contemporaneous, independent on-the-ground confirmation (pooled press dispatch, VP or State Dept photo/caption, or event summary dated
Feb 9) that Helberg was physically present in Milan on Feb 9. Therefore the completion condition (physical presence and participation in Milan, Yerevan, and Baku during Feb 9–11) is not yet verifiable.
Assessment: Given the official State Department announcement and Vance’s confirmed travel, Helberg’s participation is plausible and likely, but verification requires press-pool notes, official event statements, photos, or social-media posts from Feb 9–11 showing Helberg in each city.
What remains: Obtain on-the-ground documentation (pooled press notes, Vice President’s office or State Department press releases/pool photos, or verified social media posts) confirming Helberg in Milan on Feb 9 and subsequently in Yerevan and Baku during Feb 9–11.
Impact if completed: If Helberg accompanied Vance, the trip would represent an economic-diplomacy supplement to the VP’s Olympic and
South Caucasus engagements; no specific policy outcomes or measurable impacts attributable to Helberg’s presence are yet reported.
Verdict justification: Official scheduling exists but public, contemporaneous proof of Helberg’s physical attendance in Milan (and the two subsequent capitals) was not found as of this check, so the claim is still in progress and pending verification.