At the end of last year, U.S. President Donald Trump was reported to have raised the Azerbaijan–Armenia peace agenda during a conversation with Israel’s prime minister, warning that if peace were not achieved, Washington could raise tariffs on both countries by 100 percent.
The remark was quickly amplified by several outlets, including BBC Azerbaijani, creating the impression that Azerbaijan was being pushed toward peace under economic pressure.
That framing does not align with the timeline of negotiations.
Peace talks predate any tariff remarks
The Azerbaijan–Armenia peace process did not begin after any alleged warning from Washington. It began years earlier.
On 6 April 2022, President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to instruct their foreign ministries to begin preparing a peace treaty, marking the launch of a structured peace track.
On 6 October 2022, in Prague, the two sides reaffirmed mutual recognition of territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, providing the legal foundation for a future agreement.
Talks continued in Brussels in May and July 2023, focusing on border delimitation, transport links, and security arrangements. By mid-2023, negotiations had moved to article-by-article discussions.
From autumn 2023, the process became purely bilateral, with Azerbaijan and Armenia continuing direct talks without external mediation.
March 2025: agreed draft text
By March 2025, bilateral negotiations reached the stage of an agreed draft peace text, meaning the core articles of the agreement had been settled. The document has not yet been signed, but remaining issues were limited to technical and procedural matters.
This stage was reached well before any reported tariff-related pressure.
No evidence of tariff leverage
There is no confirmation that the White House discussed tariffs with Azerbaijan. No official U.S. statement or diplomatic exchange indicates that trade measures were used as leverage in the peace process.
Diplomatic sources told AnewZ that discussions between Azerbaijan and the United States on the peace agenda began in February 2025, involving U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Aryeh Lightstone. The talks were described as constructive and supportive of the existing process.
Azerbaijan’s role
Azerbaijan has stated that the peace initiative was launched at its own initiative.
This aligns with remarks previously made by Steve Witkoff, who recalled that Donald Trump once asked President Aliyev why Azerbaijan had not continued military operations despite having a superior army. According to Witkoff, Aliyev replied that his objective was limited to restoring occupied territories.
Witkoff described the decision as an example of statesmanship.
The Azerbaijan–Armenia peace process was not triggered by threats.
It began in 2022, advanced through substantive negotiations in 2023, became bilateral from autumn 2023, and reached an agreed draft text in March 2025. Claims that Azerbaijan was pushed toward peace by tariff pressure do not reflect the chronology or substance of the negotiations.
European leaders have voiced strong support for Denmark after U.S. President Donald Trump renewed claims that the United States needs control of Green...
The European Commission stated that the images of undressed women and children being shared on Elon Musk's social media platform, X, were both unlawfu...
Photos posted by the Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello show armed security forces deployed on the streets of Caracas....
At least 25 individuals have lost their lives in Iran during the first nine days of protests, which began in Tehran's bazaar over the rapidly deprecia...
President Ilham Aliyev has said Azerbaijan is not considering participation in any combat or peace enforcement mission in the Gaza Strip, stressing that any discussion of involvement depends on a clearly defined international mandate, the nature of the mission, and the consent of all parties.
Around 20 Azerbaijani migrant workers in Russia have been coerced into fighting on the front line in Ukraine, according to reports cited by Azerbaijani media.
President Ilham Aliyev said 2025 has politically closed the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, as a Trump-era reset in U.S. ties, new transport corridors and a push into AI, renewables and defence production reshape Azerbaijan’s priorities.
President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijan’s Orthodox Christian community on the occasion of Christmas.
Israeli media report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chaired a lengthy security meeting that reportedly focused on the country’s regional threats, including Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon comments suggesting the United States should take over Greenland, calling the idea baseless and unacceptable.
Germany’s foreign intelligence service secretly monitored the telephone communications of former U.S. President Barack Obama for several years, including calls made aboard Air Force One, according to an investigation by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Flights across Greece were halted for hours on Sunday after a collapse of radio frequencies crippled air traffic communication, stranding thousands of travellers during one of the busiest holiday weekends.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday (4 January) that the United States could carry out further military action in Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he said Washington now effectively controls the country.
President Ilham Aliyev has said Azerbaijan is not considering participation in any combat or peace enforcement mission in the Gaza Strip, stressing that any discussion of involvement depends on a clearly defined international mandate, the nature of the mission, and the consent of all parties.
Iran has denounced the U.S. detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, describing the operation as an ‘abduction’ and calling for his immediate release.
The speaker of Georgia’s parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has questioned the European Union’s ability to act as a global geopolitical power, saying it no longer functions as a guarantor of international order.
In late December 2025, protests erupted across Iran after the rial collapsed and inflation soared. Unrest spread from Tehran’s Grand Bazaar as citizens expressed frustration over rising prices, economic hardship, and long‑standing grievances with government policies.
Israeli air strikes in Gaza and Lebanon have raised fresh concerns about the durability of ceasefire agreements, after deadly attacks were reported in both territories.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment