US-brokered peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia signal a shift away from Russian influence in the South Caucasus.
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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]
Donald Trump hosted a “peace summit” in the White House with the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, leading to a declaration of peace, though not a full peace treaty. The article suggests this event is a model of Trump’s peacemaking style, designed to influence the parties and benefit the US. The agreement is seen as ending Russian dominance in the South Caucasus. Armenia’s need for a peace deal, following the 2023 war, was crucial for its pivot towards European integration, while Azerbaijan leveraged this need to push for the reopening of the Zangezur corridor, which Azerbaijan insisted should have an extraterritorial status. A compromise was reached involving an international company managing the transit. The declaration’s key points include recognizing the need for peace based on territorial integrity and mutual non-revanchism, and confirming the importance of opening communications. Armenia’s success lies in framing any violation of these points as a challenge to Trump himself. Azerbaijan’s gains include the agreement to jointly appeal to the OSCE to end the Minsk Group’s work, which Armenia is now forced to accept as closed, and the US lifting restrictions on defense cooperation. The text concludes that Russia is the biggest loser, as the US has taken over the role of mediator, and Armenia can now pursue a peace deal with Turkey, paving the way for closer integration with the West and potentially questioning the presence of Russian troops.
