Analysis: Ukraine resolution eludes Trump – even if his name is on a separate peace deal
By David Blevins, US correspondent
It couldn’t be more Trumpian.
The transit corridor established under the US president’s peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia will be called The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.
There has been conflict between the two former Soviet countries since the late 80s, when a region of Azerbaijan with an ethnic-Armenian population broke away with Armenia’s help.
But that divided Azerbaijan in two and the country has long sought a transit corridor between its separated regions.
Donald Trump has delivered one, and a ceasefire, another feather in the cap of the self-styled “peacemaker-in-chief”.
A White House official says the deal will transform business and energy resources, not just for the US but for much of Europe.
“The losers here are China, Russia and Iran. The winners here are the West,” he added.
“What we’re seeing here is the first end of a post-Soviet frozen conflict since the end of the Cold War… and it’s being done not through force, but through commercial partnership.”
Trump’s approach to peace-making could be summarised as a choice between waging war or doing business.
War in Ukraine
But there are two places where his transactional strategy hasn’t delivered, yet: Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Hamas.
He is now claiming credit for ending six wars – Israel/Iran; India/Pakistan; Congo/Rwanda; Cambodia/Thailand; Azerbaijan/Armenia and, during his first term, Serbia/Kosovo.
Asked about the president’s Nobel Peace Prize aspirations, the White House official referred to a comment online.
“At this point, maybe they shouldn’t call it the Nobel Prize. They should just call it the Trump Peace Prize, because I think he’s got more agreements in the first six or seven months than the Nobel Prize peace winners in history added up,” he quoted.
