U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev tomorrow at the White House for a high-stakes trilateral summit aimed at advancing a historic peace process between the two South Caucasus nations. The carefully choreographed diplomatic event will include separate bilateral meetings for Trump with each leader before they convene for a joint session, with a statement expected later in the afternoon.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrive in Washington following a series of preparatory talks held earlier in 2025 in cities like Tirana and Abu Dhabi. This summit represents the culmination of a sustained, U.S.-mediated effort to broker a deal to resolve the decades-long conflict primarily rooted in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The White House has framed the meeting as a significant opportunity to “promote peace, prosperity, and economic cooperation” in a volatile part of the world.
However, sources close to the negotiations suggest the summit is unlikely to yield a comprehensive, binding peace treaty. Instead, the leaders are expected to sign a “memorandum of understanding” or a “letter of intent.” This document would primarily serve as a symbolic political declaration, reaffirming their commitment to ongoing negotiations and acting as a confidence-building measure rather than a final resolution with enforceable obligations.
A central sticking point threatening any long-term agreement is the contentious “Zangezur corridor”—a proposed transport route through Armenia’s Syunik province that would connect mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave. Armenia vehemently rejects the corridor concept and terminology, viewing any extraterritorial route as a grave threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The potential deal could involve the U.S. assisting in unblocking regional transit. This prospect has drawn sharp opposition from Iran, which fears such a corridor would undermine its own strategic and economic interests.
For the Trump administration, the summit is a chance to claim a significant diplomatic victory, potentially bolstering the president’s reputation as a peacemaker amid speculation of ambitions for a Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, skepticism remains among regional experts. Analysts warn that the proposed arrangement may disproportionately favor Azerbaijan, driven by U.S. strategic interests in countering Iran. There are deep concerns that any deal signed under these conditions may lack meaningful security guarantees for Armenia.
Photo: Generated by the Gemini AI.