Armenia summits show Europe’s Caucasus rivalry with Trump and Putin

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. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine are adding to the significance of the Caucasus, with routes to the north and south constrained by conflict, sanctions and geopolitical frictions.