Trump: Putin Shocked by Armenia-Azerbaijan Deal

(Horizon Weekly) – U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “surprised” by Washington’s role in securing a new arrangement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Speaking at the U.S.–Saudi Arabia investment conference, Trump said Putin called to express disbelief that the U.S. had managed to bring the two sides together.

The White House hosted a trilateral meeting on August 8 with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, culminating in a joint declaration. At the same event, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov initialled what officials described as a peace agreement.

But beneath the celebratory framing, the so-called “agreement” leaves out every core issue that defines the conflict. It does not address the fate of Armenian prisoners held in Baku, ignores the destruction and appropriation of Armenian cultural heritage, sidesteps the right of return for displaced Armenians, and offers no real protections or guarantees against ongoing Azerbaijani aggression.

It is clear that the agreement is being pursued under intense pressure on Armenia, while Azerbaijan continues its pattern of coercion and maximalist demands. As a result, many view this document less as a durable peace framework and more as an arrangement forced under duress, one that risks collapsing the moment political optics fade.