President Donald Trump will host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House on Friday, in a renewed diplomatic effort to resolve one of the South Caucasus region’s most entrenched conflicts.
The talks are being described by White House officials as a potential turning point, with the possibility of a peace framework being announced following the meeting.
A senior U.S. official told Reuters that the meeting may result in the unveiling of a peace agreement draft. The session will include separate and joint discussions between President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, and President Trump. This marks the first such high-level summit hosted by the United States since the collapse of the previous peace process brokered by the EU in 2023.
The leaders of the two former Soviet republics last met in July in Abu Dhabi, where discussions reportedly focused on finalising a text first drafted in March. Despite both sides having acknowledged agreement on a preliminary document, no formal announcement followed that round of talks.
The core of the dispute remains the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, had been under Armenian control since the early 1990s following a separatist war. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a rapid military operation to retake the territory, resulting in the displacement of an estimated 100,000 ethnic Armenians to Armenia. The offensive drew international criticism, particularly from Western governments and human rights organisations, amid concerns over forced displacement and the treatment of civilians.
President Trump has linked his involvement to broader geopolitical concerns and domestic policy themes. During his 2024 campaign, he accused then-rival Kamala Harris of inaction over the displacement of Armenian Christians and pledged to “protect persecuted Christians” and “restore PEACE between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” His administration has since positioned the mediation effort as part of a wider foreign policy strategy focused on conflict resolution.
The White House meeting follows Trump’s earlier involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo–Rwanda negotiations, which led to the signing of an agreement in June. At that event, Trump claimed credit for additional diplomatic breakthroughs involving India, Pakistan, and Iran. “In a few short months, we’ve now achieved peace between India and Pakistan, India and Iran, and the DRC and Rwanda, and a couple of others, also,” he said.
These diplomatic initiatives have also led to a series of Nobel Peace Prize nominations. Trump has been endorsed by leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister, and representatives from Pakistan. The 2025 prize is due to be awarded in December.
Despite the attention surrounding the White House talks, observers remain cautious about the prospects for a durable settlement. While the March draft agreement was seen as a significant step, subsequent progress has been limited. Core issues – including security guarantees, border demarcation, and the future of displaced populations – remain unresolved.
The White House has not released the official agenda for Friday’s talks, but senior U.S. officials have indicated that discussions will centre on the existing draft framework. It is not yet clear whether the meeting will result in a signed document or a joint political declaration.
The timing of the meeting comes ahead of the UN General Assembly in September, where regional peacebuilding efforts are expected to feature prominently. It also coincides with broader efforts by the Trump administration to reassert U.S. influence in the Caucasus, following years of mediation led primarily by Russia and the European Union.
The 2020 ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, brokered by Moscow, established a fragile status quo but failed to produce a lasting resolution. Russia’s diminished regional leverage following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine has created a diplomatic vacuum that the U.S. is now seeking to fill.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have expressed support for continued negotiations. However, analysts have warned that any agreement lacking strong enforcement mechanisms and international guarantees may prove short-lived.
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