Trump’s Historic Peace Deal for Armenia, Azerbaijan
Leaders are expected to sign US-brokered accord, unlocking South Caucasus potential.
President Donald Trump announced that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will sign a landmark peace deal at the White House today, potentially ending decades of conflict over the Karabakh region. The agreement, hailed by Trump as a personal triumph, also includes US-led economic initiatives to transform the South Caucasus.
“Many tried, but only TRUMP succeeded,” Trump posted on Truth Social, celebrating the deal that establishes the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. This transit corridor, a major breakthrough, will connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan enclave through a 32-kilometer strip of Armenian territory, featuring rail, oil, gas, and fiber optic lines. Private corporations, not the US, will fund its development, securing leasing rights for the corridor.
The deal follows negotiations led by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who visited Baku earlier this year. It aims to reopen transportation routes closed since the 1990s, fostering trade and stability in the region.
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The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, rooted in disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh, has fueled nearly four decades of violence. Clashes began in 1988, escalating into a 1991-1994 war that killed 30,000 and displaced 1 million. Ethnic Armenian forces seized Karabakh and surrounding areas, but Azerbaijan reclaimed much of it in 2020 with Turkey’s support, followed by a full takeover in 2023, prompting over 100,000 Armenians to flee.
Previous peace efforts faltered, with Azerbaijan demanding a land bridge to Nakhchivan and Armenia resisting third-party control over the Zangezur corridor. The new agreement resolves this, though details on Armenia’s concessions remain unclear. Armenia also agreed to cede border villages and faces pressure to amend its constitution, which references Karabakh reunification, amid public protests.
The deal sidelines Russia, whose influence waned after focusing on Ukraine. Armenia, scaling back ties with Moscow, rejected Russian troops for the corridor, favoring Western alignment. “Russia has nothing to offer,” said analyst Olesya Vartanyan, noting Moscow’s diminished regional role.
The agreement could reopen Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, closed for decades, boosting trade and access to Turkish markets. For Armenia, this promises stability and integration into regional transport networks, leveraging its Soviet-era infrastructure. Turkey, meanwhile, strengthens its South Caucasus influence.
“This deal makes Armenia a vital link between Europe and Asia,” Vartanyan added, highlighting its potential to reshape regional trade.
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