ANCA Calls out White House for Pushing Armenia-Azerbaijan Deal without Artsakh Return, Prisoner Release, or Sovereignty Safeguards
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sharply criticized the U.S.-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement signed today during a White House ceremony, presided over by President Trump, as a dangerous deal that sidelines justice, undermines Armenia’s sovereignty, and rewards Azerbaijan’s unpunished aggression. The package fails to address the central issues at the heart of a just peace: the safe and dignified right of return for over 150,000 Armenians ethnically cleansed from Artsakh, the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostages, the protection of Armenian Christian heritage, and enforceable guarantees for Armenia’s security and sovereignty. The signing took place without any acknowledgment of Azerbaijan’s genocidal campaign against Artsakh Armenians, its ongoing illegal imprisonment of Artsakh leaders, or its continuing military occupation of sovereign Armenian territory.
“The same Donald Trump that failed to stop Azerbaijan’s 2020 attack on Nagorno Karabakh is now rewarding this aggression, compromising Armenia’s sovereignty, and consolidating Azerbaijan’s genocidal ethnic cleansing of over 150,000 indigenous Armenian Christians,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “A true and lasting peace requires justice – the right of return for displaced Armenians, the release of hostages, protection for Christian heritage sites, and the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from Armenia – none of which are addressed in this agreement.”
One of the most troubling provisions is President Trump’s waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, removing the U.S. prohibition on military assistance to Azerbaijan. This decision strips away a key point of U.S. leverage to hold Baku accountable for violations of the agreement, even as Azerbaijani troops remain entrenched in Armenian territory and Armenian prisoners remain unlawfully detained. “Waiving Section 907 rewards aggression and removes a critical deterrent against renewed Azerbaijani escalation,” stated Hamparian. “Washington should be enforcing this law until there are verifiable protections for Armenia and justice for Artsakh’s displaced.”
The agreement also establishes a 99-year lease granting the U.S. exclusive development rights for the so-called Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) — a transit corridor running through Armenia’s Syunik province to connect Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan and Turkey. While described as operating under Armenian law, the arrangement effectively cedes long-term control over strategic territory. “A corridor by any other name still strips Armenia of control over its own land,” said Hamparian. “Armenian sovereignty is not for lease.”
Despite its sweeping political significance, the non-binding agreement includes no enforceable security guarantees for Armenia. There are no robust monitoring mechanisms, binding deterrents, or clearly defined consequences for Azerbaijani violations. “Paper promises will not stop tanks,” Hamparian cautioned. “Without enforceable safeguards — real monitoring and real consequences — this deal is a roadmap for future coercion, not lasting peace.”
The deal further pressures Armenia to withdraw its international legal cases against Azerbaijan and to remove European Union border monitoring missions. Both measures would dismantle protections that help deter violations and document abuses. “Stripping away legal and monitoring protections abandons accountability and weakens Armenia’s defenses,” stated Hamparian. “Justice is not a bargaining chip — it’s the foundation of of a true and lasting peace.”
Equally alarming is the total silence on the release of Armenian POWs, civilian hostages, and Artsakh’s elected leaders, all still illegally imprisoned and tortured in Baku. Nor is there any provision for the protected, dignified, and collective right of return for Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh. “You cannot declare peace while leaving hostages in cells and refugees in limbo,” Hamparian said. “The release of prisoners and the protected return to Artsakh must be the starting point — not an afterthought — of any credible peace.”
Finally, the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group without establishing a credible replacement removes one of the few multilateral forums available to address Armenian rights and regional security. “Dismantling a multilateral track without building a stronger one enables impunity,” Hamparian warned. “We need more independent oversight and accountability, not less.”
Congressional Response to the Agreement
Immediately after the signing of the Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement at the White House, leaders of the Congressional Armenian Caucus called for enforceable security guarantees for Armenia, the release of Armenian prisoners of war, and the protection of Artsakh’s displaced population.
Armenian Caucus Founding Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) emphasized the need for solid enforcement mechanisms to prevent future Azerbaijani violations. “Any final agreement must also include solid enforcement mechanisms and security guarantees for Armenia should Azerbaijan break its terms. In this regard, it is a mistake for the U.S. to waive Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act. There is no reason to provide Azerbaijan with military assistance,” stated Pallone. “Additionally, more can and must be done to push Azerbaijani President Aliyev to release the prisoners of war and political prisoners he continues to hold in Baku and remove his troops from Armenian land. The United States has a moral imperative to ensure the safe, dignified, and sustainable return for displaced Armenians to their indigenous homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Brad Sherman (D-CA) stressed the importance of holding Azerbaijan accountable for its aggression and ensuring tangible protections for Armenia. “Azerbaijan must be held accountable for its aggression. While U.S. engagement and support for Armenia is critical, the U.S. must take a stronger stance to ensure that Armenia receives just and tangible security guarantees. The U.S. should – in no way – be lifting the Section 907 prohibition on U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan,” said Sherman. “Azerbaijani troops continue to unlawfully hold Armenian POWs. Every one of the Armenian POWs must be immediately and unconditionally released.”
ANCA Details Agreement’s Shortcomings and Outlines Next Steps to Congress and the Media
The ANCA has shared its full post-signing analysis of the Azerbaijan-Armenia deal with the U.S. Senate and House, detailing the shortcomings of the agreement and outlining next steps to protect Armenia’s security and sovereignty, secure the right of return of Artsakh Armenians, and ensure the immediate release of Armenian prisoners.
