Armenia, Azerbaijan Sign Peace Deal Ending Decades-Long Conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed a historic peace agreement, mediated by US President Donald Trump, committing to permanently cease hostilities and respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The deal, signed at the White House, also includes reopening trade, travel, and diplomatic relations, and plans for border delimitation and demarcation. The agreement follows decades of conflict centered on the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan regained control over by 2023, leading to a mass exodus of Armenians. Trump announced expanded US cooperation with both countries in energy, trade, and technology, including lifting restrictions on military cooperation with Azerbaijan and establishing a strategic transit corridor named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). The peace deal received praise from regional and international actors, including Iran, Turkey, France, and the UK, although some details about the binding nature of the agreement remain unclear. Both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev lauded Trump’s mediation and suggested he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for facilitating the accord.