Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan believes that if Armenia sets the return of prisoners held in Azerbaijan as a precondition for signing a peace treaty, it will lead to a deadlock in negotiations and further escalate tensions.

He emphasized that the matter is addressed "through diplomatic channels" rather than through preconditions, as reported by Aysor.am .

"As has been done over the past four years, we have confirmed that out of 150 captives, 23 remain, 12 of whom were taken prisoner in 2023.

Imposing ultimatums on any side would mean reinforcing the actions of certain parties and individuals working against our state today," Simonyan stated.

U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has said that during his conversation with Azerbaijani Presidential Advisor Hikmet Hajiyev, he urged Azerbaijan to release the prisoners and finalize the peace treaty with Armenia.

Ruben Vardanyan’s lawyer, Jared Genser, has called on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan to closely examine the statements of former U.S. President Donald Trump and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.