US President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House on Friday, finalising a peace agreement between the two nations. The deal aims to end long-standing tensions and boost economic development in the South Caucasus. However, it also grants the United States exclusive development rights to a key transit corridor in the region.
Interestingly, the corridor is expected to be named after Trump. The agreement includes plans for a new transportation route through Armenian territory, under US control. Standing beside Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Trump declared, “Many tried to find a resolution. But with this accord, we’ve finally succeeded in making peace.”
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President Trump Peace Maker, hosts Armernia and Azerbaijan to sign peace deal at the White House: “It's a long time... 35 years they fought — and now, they're friends... It's a big beautiful honor to welcome everyone to the White House for this very…
TRIPP — The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity
The corridor will be called the TRIPP — the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. Trump, who has branded himself as a “global peacemaker” in his first six months in office, expressed satisfaction with the deal. Critics, however, warned that such arrangements come with political and economic costs.
According to CNN, the project will fall under Armenian legal jurisdiction. The US will lease the land to a consortium responsible for construction and management. Speaking about the naming decision, Trump said, “This declaration establishes what they are calling a great honour for me — I didn’t ask for this.”
Part of a Wider Peace Push
This deal follows the White House’s recent success in securing a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia. That agreement was reached last month after Trump warned both nations he would halt trade talks if they continued fighting. “I was talking to one of the two nations on trade, and I said, ‘I’m not going to sign a trade deal if you guys are going to fight,’” Trump recalled. “We got it stopped.”
White House officials say these diplomatic efforts reflect Trump’s campaign pledge to end conflicts worldwide. However, major wars, such as Israel’s conflict in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, remain unresolved.
Trump’s Nobel Ambitions
Behind these deals lies another motive — Trump’s long-standing desire for the Nobel Peace Prize. A White House official confirmed that Trump believes each peace accord strengthens his chances of winning the award. He has often complained about former President Barack Obama receiving the prize in 2009 at the start of his first term.
Foreign leaders have used nominations as a diplomatic gesture toward Trump. On Friday, both Pashinyan and Aliyev endorsed him for the award. “Who, if not President Trump, deserves the Nobel Peace Prize?” Aliyev asked, adding, “President Trump, in six months, did a miracle.”
Ending the Minsk Group’s Role
As part of the agreement, Armenia and Azerbaijan’s leaders also supported a formal request to dissolve the Minsk Group. Formed in 1992 and co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US, the group has long mediated disputes between the two nations.
Celebrating the breakthrough, Trump said, “Thirty-five years of death and hatred — and now it’s going to be love and respect and success together,” as the two leaders shook hands in front of him.