Armenia Summits Show Europe’s Caucasus Rivalry With Trump, Putin

President Donald Trump, center, during a trilateral signing with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, left, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House on Aug. 8. — President Donald Trump, center, during a trilateral signing with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, left, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House on Aug. 8.Photographer: Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo

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By Ani Avetisyan and Andrea Palasciano

May 3, 2026 at 4:00 AM UTC

Twin European summits in Armenia are pointing to an intensifying contest for influence between major powers in the strategic Caucasus region.

The end of a decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is helping to sharpen the rivalry for dominance over energy and trade routes across the narrow belt of land linking Europe and Asia.