Azerbaijan.US
Political analyst Ilgar Velizade has said that Donald Trump was not the architect of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, stressing that key agreements had been reached well before Washington became the venue for their formalization.
Commenting on Trump’s remarks about possible punitive tariffs if Baku and Yerevan failed to reach a peace deal, Velizade described the statements as political rhetoric rather than a realistic economic threat. He noted that direct trade between Azerbaijan and the United States remains limited and would not have caused serious economic damage.
According to the analyst, substantive negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia took place earlier in Abu Dhabi, where the groundwork for future agreements was laid. The Washington meeting, he said, was a continuation of that process rather than its starting point.
Velizade emphasized that U.S. diplomacy nevertheless played an important role in helping to finalize the talks, particularly by adapting to new political realities in the region and encouraging practical outcomes rather than prolonged mediation.
Turning to Ukraine, the expert expressed skepticism about Trump’s ability to engineer a breakthrough in the Russia–Ukraine conflict. In his view, Trump’s approach is based on accepting existing realities on the ground rather than attempting to reshape them in favor of one side.
Velizade also dismissed concerns that Russia could redirect its focus toward the South Caucasus after the war in Ukraine, arguing that the regional balance of power has changed significantly and that such scenarios are unrealistic under current conditions.
