ANN/Groong — The English-Language Armenian Podcast

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Guest(s):

• Amb. Jack Matlock

Topics:

• Recollections from Soviet South Caucasus
• Why the Soviet Union collapsed
• How the Cold War ended
• Reagan and Gorbachev’s diplomacy
• America’s post-Cold War triumphalism
• NATO expansion and Russian backlash
• Great-power rivalry in the Caucasus
• Armenia’s geopolitical choices today

Episode 580 | Recorded: Aug 27, 2026

#JackMatlock #ColdWar #SovietUnion #Reagan #Gorbachev #NATO #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Armenia

• EP578: Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia’s exposure to an expanding Iran War, Russia’s December ultimatum on EAEU membership, and how TRIPP infrastructure through Syunik deepens security and energy vulnerabilities.
• EP579: Dziunik Aghajanian examines Armenia’s precarious position between Iran, Russia, and emerging Middle East power shifts, analyzing the Mecca joint defense pact, Iran’s objections to TRIPP, Aliyev’s militarization of Nakhijevan, Armenia’s energy dependence, Russian ultimatums, and the Established Opposition’s parliamentary strategy ahead of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election.

Pashinyan’s government moves forward with TRIPP infrastructure projects and plans to normalize ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey, while opposition lawmakers clash with pro-government majorities over parliamentary committee assignments and the government pursues its campaign to oust Catholicos Karekin II.

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Guest(s):

• Dziunik Aghajanian

Topics:

• Significance of the Mecca joint defense pact
• Iran warns Armenia over TRIPP
• Aliyev advances plans through Syunik
• Armenia faces growing energy dependence
• Russia sets deadlines for Yerevan
• Opposition tests its parliamentary strategy

Episode 579 | Recorded: August 18, 2026

#Armenia #SouthCaucasus #Mecca #TRIPP #Iran #Russia #Azerbaijan #EAEU #CSTO

Groong Links:

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Topics:

• US-Iran War Risks Return
• Armenia Faces Regional Spillover Risks
• Russia Pressures Armenia Over Western Pivot
• TRIPP Deepens Security and Energy Risks
• Domestic Politics Grow More Confrontational
• Arrests and Prosecutions Fuel Repression Claims

Episode 578 | Recorded: August 17, 2026

#Armenia #IranWar #TRIPP #Syunik #SouthCaucasus #RussiaArmenia #Nakhichevan #ArmenianPolitics

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Guest(s):

• Richard Campbell

Topics:

• Global AI race and hype
• Economics of AI data centers
• Energy limits and infrastructure demands
• Armenia’s Firebird AI project
• Jobs, innovation, and local benefits
• AI sovereignty and export controls
• Military value and security risks

Episode 577 | Recorded: August 11, 2026

#ArtificialIntelligence #Armenia #FirebirdAI #AIDataCenters #SovereignAI #EnergySecurity #TechGeopolitics #NationalSecurity

• EP576: Asbed and Hovik examine Pashinyan’s confrontation with the Armenian Church, Armenia’s balancing act between Russia and the EU, the geopolitical implications of TRIPP, Iran’s military leadership realignment under wartime pressure, the Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense pact, and how these shifts reshape Armenia’s role in the South Caucasus.
• EP577: Richard Campbell discusses the global AI race, data center economics, energy constraints, and Armenia’s Firebird project, examining whether current AI infrastructure investments align with physical and economic realities.

One year after Washington’s Armenia-Azerbaijan peace summit, regional tensions escalate as Aliyev threatens military action, Iran rejects TRIPP terms, and Pashinyan pursues EU integration while constitutional reform divides the opposition.

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Topics:

• Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Alliance
• Iran War Update
• Catholicos on Trial
• EAEU Meeting in Cholpon-Ata
• Corruption & Persecutions

Episode 576 | Recorded: August 10, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #TRIPP #ArmeniaRussia #SouthCaucasus #Groong