Trump to Host Armenia and Azerbaijan Leaders for Historic White House Peace Signing

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U.S. President Donald Trump will host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House this Friday for a summit aimed at formally ending decades of conflict between the two nations. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are expected to participate in what Trump has described as an “official Peace Signing Ceremony,” marking a significant diplomatic effort to resolve the longstanding dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former Soviet republics, has flared repeatedly since the fall of the Soviet Union, including two major wars. Most recently, Azerbaijan recaptured significant territory in Nagorno-Karabakh during a swift military offensive in 2023. This led to the displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians from the region, exacerbating tensions between the two countries.

Previous peace negotiations have taken place, including talks held last month in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but no comprehensive agreement had been reached. Azerbaijan has set forth several conditions for the peace deal, including demands for constitutional amendments in Armenia that would drop territorial claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. It remains unclear whether these conditions have been met ahead of the White House event.

President Trump highlighted the significance of the summit on his Truth Social platform, stating that the two countries “have been at war for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands.” He emphasized that past leaders failed to secure peace but expressed pride in the current leaders’ efforts. Trump also framed the occasion as a milestone not only for Armenia and Azerbaijan but for the United States and the broader international community.

Alongside the peace agreement, the summit will include discussions on economic cooperation. A memorandum of cooperation was signed on Thursday between ExxonMobil and Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR, witnessed by President Aliyev and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. This deal is seen as part of a broader push to unlock economic potential in the South Caucasus region.

Although the exact terms of the peace agreement to be signed remain undisclosed, the White House summit follows multiple recent diplomatic engagements. In May, leaders met on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Albania, where French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Antonio Costa urged a swift resolution.

The upcoming ceremony signals a continued U.S. role in mediating the conflict and fostering stability in the strategically important Caucasus region. Whether the signing will bring a lasting peace remains to be seen, but it represents a notable step toward ending one of the post-Soviet era’s most persistent disputes.