U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House on Friday for what he described as a “Historic Peace Summit” to end decades of conflict between the two former Soviet republics.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will attend an “official Peace Signing Ceremony,” Trump posted Thursday on his Truth Social platform. The two nations, long-time adversaries, have fought two wars over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan regained control of the territory in a swift 2023 offensive, leading over 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee.
Despite previous peace talks, including recent discussions in the United Arab Emirates, a lasting agreement had remained out of reach.
“These two nations have been at war for years, costing thousands of lives,” Trump wrote. “Many leaders have tried to end the conflict without success—until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP.’ My administration has worked with both sides for some time, and I’m very proud of these courageous leaders for doing the right thing.”
Trump, who has previously suggested his mediation efforts in global conflicts merit a Nobel Peace Prize, added that the U.S. will sign bilateral deals with both countries to explore economic opportunities in the South Caucasus region.
A potential peace deal could finally resolve decades of hostilities and reopen key transportation routes that have been closed since the early 1990s. According to officials speaking to the Associated Press, the agreement would grant the U.S. leasing rights to develop a corridor—dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity”—connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave, which is separated from the rest of the country by a 20-mile stretch of Armenian territory.
The corridor is expected to include rail lines, oil and gas pipelines, and fiber optic cables, facilitating trade and eventually passenger travel. Rather than U.S. government funding, private companies would finance and develop the infrastructure.
The breakthrough follows a visit earlier this year by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, and ongoing negotiations between the parties.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have clashed for nearly 40 years over Nagorno-Karabakh. During Soviet rule, the predominantly Armenian region held autonomous status within Azerbaijan. Tensions between Christian Armenians and mostly Muslim Azerbaijanis escalated as the Soviet Union collapsed.
(With reporting from Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press)
