87 U.S. lawmakers urge safe return of displaced Karabakh Armenians

By Alexander Pracht

Eighty-seven members of the U.S. Congress sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, urging the Trump administration to support the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with international law. 

The letter was spearheaded by the co-chairs of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, namely Frank Pallone, Gus Bilirakis, Brad Sherman, and David Valadao. Signed by lawmakers representing 24 states and over 66 million Americans, the letter cited the 2023 Azerbaijani blockade and military offensive that forcibly displaced all 120,000 ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. It also referenced the destruction of Armenian Christian heritage sites, looting of civilian property, and deliberate dismantling of infrastructure to prevent return.

Citing international legal precedents, the letter emphasized that “the right of return for populations displaced by war is a foundational principle of international law.” It mentioned the December 2023 ruling by the International Court of Justice, which ordered Azerbaijan to ensure the safe return of Karabakh Armenians. 

The letter reaffirmed earlier U.S. statements, including one by State Department official Jim O’Brien, who urged Azerbaijan to ensure the “safe, dignified, and sustainable return” of ethnic Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh. The lawmakers conclude by expressing readiness to work with the administration toward a just peace that enables the return of the displaced population without fear of renewed violence or persecution.

In May, Rubio told Congress that the U.S. is actively working to prevent a renewed Azerbaijani invasion of Armenia. During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Rep. Jim Costa urged the administration to limit U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan. Rubio replied that no decision had been made on whether President Trump would issue a waiver this year but stressed that the U.S. is focused on preventing escalation. 

“We are focused on getting them to agree to a peace agreement that does not cause them to invade a neighboring country, Armenia,” he said, warning that war would be “destructive, counterproductive, and the last thing we need right now in the region.”

Earlier this month, remarks by Thomas Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, revealed that the White House is seeking a more active role in the Armenia–Azerbaijan normalization process. Barrack said Washington had proposed leasing a strip of land in southern Armenia, near the Iranian border, as a potential transit link for Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave that Baku has sought to establish for decades. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly dismissed the lease idea but acknowledged that a third-party operator could potentially manage the route, provided the land remains under Armenian sovereignty.

Last Friday, President Donald Trump claimed a peaceful resolution between Armenia and Azerbaijan was nearly finalized, crediting his administration’s diplomacy. “Armenia and Azerbaijan. We worked magic there and it’s pretty close – if not, it’s already done,” he told Republican senators, without providing details.