BRUSSELS – August 12
The Washington summit between Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, and Donald Trump has redrawn the South Caucasus political map. For the first time in over thirty years, a real peace agreement is within reach — and it wasn’t brokered in Brussels.
The European Parliament’s reaction was telling. It began by praising the commitment to the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Declaration, but quickly fell back into a familiar script: demands for an Azerbaijani “withdrawal from Armenian territory” and for the “return” of Karabakh Armenians. Neither claim reflects today’s reality. The border is being settled bilaterally. The “prisoner” issue was closed after the 2020 exchange. And those who left Karabakh did so by choice, not by force.
None of these talking points appear in the Washington agreements. By repeating them, Brussels risks not only looking detached from the facts, but also undermining a peace process it no longer controls.
In truth, the EU has been pushed to the margins. Baku and Yerevan are shaping their future directly — with Washington as the facilitator. Energy partnerships with Europe will grow, but the political lead has shifted. And in the South Caucasus, the message is clear: the old game is over, and Brussels is no longer the referee.
The table contrasts frequently cited talking points with the situation as reflected in bilateral agreements and the current process.
| EU Claim | Fact (Agreement & Process) |
|---|---|
| Azerbaijan must withdraw forces from Armenian territory | No Azerbaijani forces are stationed inside Armenia’s recognized territory; border issues are being handled in bilateral delimitation and demarcation talks as agreed by Baku and Yerevan Context |
| Unresolved issue of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan | POW exchanges were conducted on an “all-for-all” basis after the 2020 war. Remaining detainees face charges under Azerbaijani law for alleged crimes; they are not classified as POWs Clarification |
| Karabakh Armenians were displaced and must be returned | Azerbaijan stated readiness to grant citizenship and cultural rights; most who left did so voluntarily after the restoration of Azerbaijani sovereignty. Return policies are a domestic matter of jurisdiction Status |
