The Art of a Bad Deal | Opinion
3 minute readPublished: Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 12:45 pm
Trump's South Caucasus Deal: A Retreat from Global Leadership?
President Donald Trump's recent National Security Strategy, emphasizing "America First" principles, has been criticized for its approach to global leadership. A key example of this strategy in action is the peace deal brokered between Armenia and Azerbaijan to end a long-standing conflict. While the intention to resolve the conflict is acknowledged, the framework of the deal is seen as deeply flawed.
The deal, aimed at fostering peace and economic prosperity, is accused of prioritizing American geopolitical ambitions and transit routes over the justice, security, and human rights of the Armenian people. The central component, the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity," is essentially a transit route through Armenia's Syunik province, connecting Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan. This route is managed by a private U.S. company under a long-term lease. Critics argue this arrangement undermines Armenia's territorial integrity and risks reducing the country to a vassal state.
Furthermore, the deal has been criticized for its silence on the displacement of over 120,000 Armenians from their ancestral homeland of Artsakh in 2023. The agreement is seen as effectively overlooking war crimes and failing to address the fate of Armenian political prisoners and the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in the region. Azerbaijan continues to hold Armenian prisoners and engage in cultural erasure. The deal also pressures Armenia to drop international legal cases against Azerbaijan.
Despite these concessions, Azerbaijan continues to make further demands, including constitutional amendments that would remove references to Artsakh. This has fueled domestic unrest in Armenia. The deal is viewed as a quick fix designed to achieve a political objective, rather than a genuine effort to build stability.
BNN's Perspective:
While the pursuit of peace in the South Caucasus is a worthy goal, the details of this deal raise serious concerns. The focus on transactional economics and the apparent disregard for human rights and Armenian sovereignty are troubling. A truly lasting peace requires a commitment to justice, security, and the protection of all parties involved. The current framework appears to prioritize short-term gains over long-term stability, potentially exacerbating existing tensions in the region.
Keywords: Donald Trump, Armenia, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, peace deal, national security strategy, geopolitical, transit route, territorial integrity, human rights, Artsakh, war crimes, political prisoners, economic mortgage, America First, global leadership.