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Russia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Highway to peace – or to the next war?
When Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a US-brokered deal in Washington this August – with Donald Trump taking credit as peacemaker-in-chief – it was quickly branded the 'Trump Route' to stability in the South Caucasus. On paper, it promises 'peace and prosperity.' In practice, it's a lot more complicated. The new transport corridor cutting through Armenia's Syunik Province isn't just an infrastructure project – it's a geopolitical choke point tying together the ambitions of Baku, Ankara, Washington, and Brussels. For Yerevan, it could turn out to be less the dawn of a new chapter and more the next round in a long fight to hold onto its land – only this time, under a very different set of rules. On August 8 in Washington DC, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration pledging to reopen transport and communication links between their countries. The deal – mediated and personally unveiled by Donald Trump – also commits both sides to ending long-standing hostilities and working toward normalising diplomatic relations. Alongside the political agreement, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed separate accords with the United States on trade, economic cooperation, innovation, and energy partnerships. The deal's headline feature is a transport corridor running through Armenia's Syunik Province, connecting mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Yerevan has even proposed an official name for it: the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. Under the terms, the corridor will be operated by a private American company on a 99-year lease, with an option to extend. 'This isn't just a peace treaty; it marks the establishment of international relations and the opening of embassies between the neighboring countries,' Azerbaijani National Assembly (Milli Majlis) member Aydin Mirzazade has said. 'A process of normalization between Azerbaijan and Armenia will follow. This agreement will put an end to the strained relations that have existed between Azerbaijan and Armenia since 1988, when the Armenian political elite laid a claim to historical Azerbaijani lands, culminating in the occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani territory. I believe there is a strong desire in both nations to establish normal, neighborly relations.' After the signing in Washington Pashinyan also floated the idea of a mutual territorial swap, which raised eyebrows back home. 'There are territories that, logically, belong to Armenia but are under Azerbaijan's control, and there are territories that, logically, belong to Azerbaijan but are under Armenia's control,' he said . He argued that both sides should continue demarcating the border and return any land that does not 'rightfully' belong to them. On the surface, both Armenia and Azerbaijan walk away with something to celebrate. Supporters of the deal argue it's a win-win that could boost trade, create jobs, and calm one of the region's most volatile flashpoints. Mirzazade calls it 'a highly profitable economic project' that could generate hundreds of thousands of jobs, open new markets, and reassure neighboring states that war isn't around the corner. 'Tense relations and the volatile situation in the South Caucasus have severely hampered trade freedom, investments, and so on. This tension has affected the ability of other nations to pursue their legitimate interests in the region. The opening of the Zangezur Corridor will allow for the free movement of goods and people from Asia to Europe and back,' he said to RT. For Azerbaijan, the payoff is obvious: a direct land link to its Nakhchivan exclave – something Baku has long sought. The corridor gives it unhindered access across southern Armenia and a clear logistical advantage in trade and transport. Türkiye, Azerbaijan's closest ally, also stands to gain. As Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan openly put it, the corridor would knit the Turkic world together, linking Central Asia to Europe through Turkish territory. In Ankara's view, it's not just a bilateral arrangement; it's a strategic bridge for pan-Turkic integration. Europe, too, gets something out of it – access to Central Asian energy resources routed through NATO territory. For Brussels, it's a safer alternative to Russian-controlled or Iranian-linked routes. 'Of course, Europe would prefer the presence of, say, the French rather than the Americans. That would feel more secure for them, considering the current tensions with Washington. But still, for Europe, this is far better than having no such corridor at all,' Armenian political analyst Karen Igitian told RT. For the United States, the corridor serves multiple strategic goals. First, it opens a secure route for moving Central Asian energy westward without passing through Russia or Iran. 'The second crucial aspect is the potential to supply arms to Central Asia in the event of escalating tensions or conflicts, which, as Washington believes, could involve Russia. In such cases, Americans would have the ability to deliver weapons and ammunition without any obstacles. Unblocking communication routes without establishing this corridor would raise doubts in the US about the reliability of such supplies,' Karen Igitian explained. And perhaps most importantly, it puts Washington in a position to exert lasting influence in a region where Russia has traditionally called the shots. That influence is exactly what worries Iran and Russia. Tehran has warned that the corridor could destabilize the regional balance, redraw borders, and undermine Armenia's sovereignty. An advisor to Iran's supreme leader went so far as to threaten that it would become 'the graveyard of Trump's mercenaries.' Moscow, while less blunt in its public statements, has every reason to see the US-brokered deal as an encroachment on its traditional sphere of influence – especially given that it was Russia, not Washington, that mediated the 2020 ceasefire. Armenia's position is the most complicated. It gains the promise – and only the promise – of peace, along with potential economic openings from restored transport links. Azerbaijan's expectations are set high by its own leadership. In December 2020, President Ilham Aliyev described Zangezur, Gegharkunik, and Yerevan as 'historical Azerbaijani lands,' and, at a party congress two years earlier, framed Yerevan as a city Baku ultimately aims to 'take back.' In his telling, 'Armenia's aggressive policies' since the late 1980s have displaced hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis. Those statements continue to echo over the current talks. Baku also wants Yerevan to change its basic law: Azerbaijan insists that Armenia revise its constitution to remove any claims to Azerbaijani territory. That demand, raised alongside the Washington signing, turns domestic Armenian politics into a live wire for the process. Armenian analyst Karen Igityan cautions that a paper peace may not hold. 'This agreement could move the sides closer to a formal peace,' he says, 'but it doesn't guarantee actual peace.' In his view, 'Azerbaijan considers the entire territory of Armenia to be Western Azerbaijan,' and Aliyev 'explicitly' names Yerevan and Etchmiadzin as Azerbaijani. Azerbaijan's military spending has again hit a record $5 billion, which he reads as a signal that 'Azerbaijan has no intention of establishing peaceful relations with Armenia… we see Azerbaijan preparing for another escalation.' On guarantees, Igityan is blunt: beyond Donald Trump's line – 'If you don't get along, call me and I'll straighten it out' – 'there are no clearly defined international guarantees.' That vagueness, he argues, mirrors the post-November 10, 2020 pattern, when 'the mechanisms for oversight weren't sufficiently outlined,' allowing Baku to 'launch military actions several times.' Even the corridor itself can become a flashpoint. With a private American company overseeing operations on a 99-year term, Armenia, Igityan says, 'loses control over part of its territory,' because 'it's no longer up to Armenia to decide what happens in that area; the signatures of the United States and Azerbaijan are already on the document.' All of this keeps the margin for error thin. As Igityan puts it, 'This propaganda doesn't stop,' and with constitutional edits, border demarcation, and corridor rules all in play, any stumble risks becoming the next crisis. The Zangezur corridor may be framed as a peace project, but its real weight is geopolitical. For Ankara, it's a strategic hinge between the Turkic states of Central Asia and Europe – a physical link that advances a decades-old vision of cultural and political integration. For Washington, it's a rare chance to plant a long-term presence in a region historically under Russian sway, with the added benefit of securing energy routes and potential military supply lines that bypass Moscow and Tehran entirely. These ambitions are precisely what make Moscow and Tehran uneasy. For Russia, the deal shifts the optics – and potentially the reality – of mediation in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijani lawmaker Mirzazade recalled that various mediators have played roles at different stages in the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict. 'On November 10, 2020, a ceasefire agreement was reached with Russian mediation, and Russia was also involved in the subsequent negotiations aimed at concluding a peace treaty,' he said. 'For Azerbaijan, it doesn't really matter who controls this road. What matters is that the 43-kilometer route from one part of Azerbaijan to another remains open so our citizens can move around freely. We referred to the example of Kaliningrad, where Russian citizens and vehicles pass through another country without customs checks. Azerbaijan demands the same arrangement, and this demand has been accepted.' For Iran, the corridor's alignment with NATO-linked infrastructure threatens to cut it off from the north and reinforce a chain of allied states stretching from Türkiye into Central Asia. In practice, the corridor is less about trucks and trains than about influence. Whoever controls its operation and security gains leverage over a swath of Eurasia's trade and transit – leverage that can be used to build alliances, pressure rivals, or recalibrate the balance of power in the region. This makes the Zangezur deal not just a test of Armenian–Azerbaijani reconciliation, but a live battleground for the strategic agendas of four competing capitals. The 'Trump Route' deal has been sold as a breakthrough – a handshake in Washington, a promise of open borders, and a road meant to carry prosperity from Asia to Europe. But in the South Caucasus, promises are fragile currency. The same corridor that is billed as a bridge could just as easily become a fault line, shaped less by the goodwill of its neighbors than by the strategic ambitions of powers far beyond Armenia and Azerbaijan. The agreement's survival will hinge on factors the signing ceremony couldn't fix: whether Baku reins in its maximalist rhetoric, whether Yerevan can navigate domestic backlash without derailing commitments, and whether outside actors treat the corridor as shared infrastructure rather than a geopolitical choke point. None of those conditions are guaranteed – and history suggests that when they fail, it's rarely on just one front. For now, the road through Syunik exists mostly on paper. Whether it becomes a path to peace or another route to confrontation will depend on the ability of its architects to enforce not only the letter of the deal, but the trust it was meant to create. In the South Caucasus, that may be the hardest route of all.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Peace, Not Division In Caucasus': Russia to review Armenia-Azerbaijan ‘Trump Route' corridor
Russia has announced it will carefully review the details of the Armenia–Azerbaijan transport corridor project, known as the 'Trump Route,' though specifics remain undisclosed. Senior diplomat Alexey Fadeyev stressed that any foreign involvement in the South Caucasus must support peace rather than fuel new divisions. He also highlighted the importance of considering Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and the role of Russian border guards in the Syunik region when unblocking transport links. Meanwhile, Russian envoy Igor Khovayev met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran to discuss regional developments. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, backing local solutions through mechanisms like the 3+3 structure. They also agreed to deepen cooperation to ensure stability and security in the volatile Caucasus region.#Russia #TrumpRoute #Armenia #Azerbaijan #Caucasus #Iran #Geopolitics #BreakingNews #SouthCaucasus #WorldNews Read More
JAMnews
11-08-2025
- Politics
- JAMnews
‘No third-party control' – Armenian foreign minister on the 'Trump Route' programme
Armenian foreign minister on the Washington declaration 'The operation of infrastructure – including that to be built in Armenia under the US partnership – will take place within the territorial integrity, sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries involved, and will ensure mutual benefit. Whatever the technical solutions, still to be discussed, they cannot go beyond these principles,' Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan said, speaking about the 'Trump Route' programme. The Trump Route (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity – TRIPP) is a planned road linking mainland Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhchivan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to reopen it with the participation of an Armenian–US consortium. Mirzoyan stressed that the Washington declaration does not envisage any third-party control over the road. He was responding to the Armenian parliamentary opposition and some experts who use the term 'corridor', amid claims that Armenia had supposedly agreed to grant Azerbaijan an extraterritorial road. 'With the persistence of a mule, some 'independent experts' or 'dependent party figures' keep spreading terms that have always been unacceptable to Yerevan and are absent from the Washington declaration,' he said. In an interview with Armenpress, Mirzoyan said such interpretations were 'either a product of their imagination or an attempt to mislead people'. Details – what the declaration says, and Mirzoyan's comments. The provisions of the declaration on the 'reciprocity' of benefits in reopening transport links The Washington declaration, signed on 8 August following the Trump–Pashinyan–Aliyev meeting, contains seven points. It covers: the initialling of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan the affirmation of the inviolability of international borders the inadmissibility of using force to seize territory the rejection of any acts of retaliation now or in the future the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and related structures On the 'Trump Route' programme, the declaration states: 'Armenia will work with the United States and mutually agreed third parties to define the framework for implementing the programme on Armenian territory.' After the signing, Armenia's prime minister told reporters that the US intends to be the main investor in the Trump Route, but that Armenia is also ready to work with third parties, including other investors. Pashinyan thanked the US president for showing flexibility on the issue. 'Our goal is for this project to bring involvement, and to attract other partners wherever possible, rather than creating tension or confrontation. No one should think that the Trump Route project is aimed against them, because it truly is not,' he said. The declaration says the sides confirmed the importance of reopening transport links between the two countries for domestic, bilateral and international traffic, while stressing respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and jurisdiction of states: 'These efforts will include unimpeded communications between the main part of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the territory of the Republic of Armenia, with mutual benefits for Armenia from international and domestic communications.' At the press conference following the Washington meeting, journalists asked the prime minister whether this reference to mutual benefits also meant unimpeded communications for Armenia. '[The document] sets out one benefit, and says that Armenia should have the same benefit. Reciprocity means that if roads are opened for Azerbaijan, they are opened for Armenia too. If they are not opened for Azerbaijan, they are not opened for Armenia either. Although that option is no longer on the table now,' he replied. Armenia gains access to Azerbaijan's railway infrastructure Armenia's foreign minister said that with the agreement on reopening transport links, a 'very important and decisive' stage had been completed – talks on the general principles for operating the infrastructure. 'But this is only one stage. Now we face huge work to clarify and agree on more specific conditions and technical solutions,' he said. Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that, under the Washington declaration, a major development was taking place – Armenia's transport links are being reopened. 'This is what Armenia has been striving for over the past 35 years. From now on, Armenia gains access to, and can use, Azerbaijan's railway infrastructure for international trade. […] The agreements in the Washington declaration clearly carry even more weight thanks to the participation of the US side and the US president's signature as a witness.' Yerevan to begin talks on Trump Route details Foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan said the US president had signed an order to set up a working group to implement the 'Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity' programme. 'In the near future, we expect high-level discussions in Yerevan on this issue. We should use this important moment to leave future generations a more connected South Caucasus,' he said. He described his visit to Washington as important also for advancing the Armenia–US strategic partnership agenda. Following bilateral talks, the two sides signed three memorandums: Memorandum on Armenia's 'Crossroads of Peace' regional reopening project: The US expressed support for the 'Crossroads of Peace' project, emphasising Armenia's role as a regional transport hub. It highlighted the need to ensure Armenia's infrastructure and border security, including with the participation of private investors. Memorandum on artificial intelligence and semiconductor innovation: Aimed at deepening cooperation in high-tech, with a focus on developing a semiconductor ecosystem and applying artificial intelligence. Memorandum on energy security: Intended to support Armenia's energy resilience and modernisation of its energy system, encourage private investment, and develop civilian nuclear power. According to Mirzoyan, there is an agreement with US secretary of state Marco Rubio to step up joint work on implementing the components of the strategic partnership. Initialling of peace treaty a 'historic event' The Armenian foreign minister called the initialling of the peace agreement at the White House a 'historic event.' 'It has become a major milestone in the process of resolving Armenian–Azerbaijani relations. The initialling and the subsequent public statements showed that peace – in the sense of no escalation on the border – has already been established. In essence, a stage of institutionalising peace is now beginning,' he said. Mirzoyan also addressed the text of the peace treaty itself, saying he was convinced that once it is published, 'with a rational approach, all speculation will stop from that moment.' Armenian foreign minister on the Washington declaration
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump signs new peace agreement that includes the 'Trump Route'
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace agreement at the White House on Aug. 8 that ends a decades-long war between the two former Soviet republics and reopens critical transportation access in the region. During a ceremony in the State Dining Room, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan heaped praise on the two-term Republican president and at one point said Trump deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Their joint declaration establishes a "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity," a 20-mile multi-modal transit corridor through the South Caucasus connecting the two countries. The United States will have exclusive development rights along it. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the late 1980s when Nagorno-Karabakh ‒ an Azerbaijani region that had a mostly ethnic-Armenian population ‒ broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, though they've since been "preoccupied with wars and occupation and bloodshed," Aliyev said at the White House. 'This is a great deal we achieve today,' Pashinyan said. 'It's a success for the world, because a more peaceful region means a safer world.' More: Trump greenlights Putin sit-down, even if Russian leader does not meet with Zelenskyy During his remarks, Trump said he was also lifting restrictions on defense cooperation between Azerbaijan and the U.S. "For more than 35 years, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought a bitter conflict that resulted in tremendous suffering for both nations," Trump said. "They suffered gravely for so many years. Many tried to find a resolution including the European Union. The Russians worked very hard on. It never happened." More: US plan sees Hezbollah disarmed by year-end, Israeli withdrawal Trump administration officials have quietly worked for months to secure an agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people," Trump said in an Aug. 7 post on his social media site Truth Social. "Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to 'TRUMP.'" Contributing: Reuters (This story has been updated with more photos and information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump signs peace accord with Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders
News.com.au
09-08-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Trump's wild power play ahead of Putin meeting
Donald Trump has brokered a peace agreement on Russia's doorstep ahead of a planned meeting with Vladimir Putin on US soil. Armenia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics south of Russia, have been at war since the 1980s. Russia once acted as a broker in their disputes but both countries have since grown distant from Moscow. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev met Trump at the White House on Friday local time, and the US President announced a 20-mile transit corridor named the 'Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity'. The route will allow Azerbaijanis passage through Armenian territory to their country's westernmost region, which is cut off from Azerbaijan proper, a bit like Alaska's separation from the mainland US. 'It's a long time – 35 years – they fought and now they're friends, and they're going to be friends for a long time,' Mr Trump said at the signing ceremony. Both leaders said they would nominate Mr Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, a gesture sure to flatter the US President as he attempts to position himself as a global peacemaker during his second term. The deal gives the US exclusive development rights along the new transit route – a sign of Russia's declining sway with its near neighbours. Separate deals were signed with both countries to expand co-operation on energy, trade and technology, and Mr Trump hinted at future defence co-operation between Azerbaijan and the US. It shores up his negotiating position ahead of a planned meeting with Putin next week in Alaska, which was also announced on Friday. 'The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,' Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' It's possible the US will now use its planned involvement in the Armenia transit route as a bargaining chip in its attempts to secure peace in Ukraine. A US-imposed deadline for the Russian president to agree to a ceasefire came and went without an announcement on Friday. If the Alaska showdown on August 15 goes ahead, it will be the first face-to-face meeting between the Russian and American presidents since Joe Biden met with Putin 2021. Mr Trump and Mr Putin have met before, however, at bilateral talks in Helsinki, Finland in 2018. The Russian president has not set foot in the US since 2015, when he attended the UN General Assembly meeting in New York and met then-president Barack Obama.
