Trump Proposed to Return Armenian Prisoners and Lift Sanctions Against Baku

Experts from the Atlantic Council are recommending that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump lift sanctions against Baku in exchange for Armenian prisoners. American experts note that such a deal with Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus would yield significant benefits with much lower risks.

“To implement this ‘big deal,’ the Trump administration must propose to Congress the removal of the weapons sales ban on Baku in exchange for the release of individuals unjustly held in Azerbaijani prisons,” the experts stated.

The Atlantic Council's proposal suggests that Baku offer to release some of the Armenians captured in 2023 in Nagorno-Karabakh as a gesture of goodwill ahead of Armenia's elections in June. Following this, Washington and Baku would agree to lift the Section 907 ban on arms sales.