Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- US Foreign Policy Under Trump
- Transactional Foreign Policy
- Trump’s Cabinet & Policy Shifts
- US-Armenia Relations
Episode 420 | Recorded: February 27, 2025
Show Notes
Topics Covered
- US Foreign Policy Under Trump – The Trump administration’s approach to reshaping U.S. foreign policy, including potential reforms or dissolution of USAID and the implications for global NGOs, particularly in Armenia.
- Transactional Foreign Policy – Trump’s strategic, business-style approach to foreign relations, including proposed deals for Gaza, Ukraine, tariffs, and territorial acquisitions such as Greenland and Panama.
- Trump’s Cabinet & Policy Shifts – Analysis of key figures in Trump’s cabinet, such as Tulsi Gabbard, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth, and their expected influence on defense, intelligence, and foreign policy.
- US-Armenia Relations – Examination of the US-Armenia “strategic partnership” agreement, its lack of a defense component, and its implications amid regional tensions involving Iran, Israel, and Azerbaijan.
- Intelligence and National Security – The role of intelligence agencies under the Trump administration, potential restructuring, and the balance between national security and government overreach.
- US-Russia Relations & the Global Order – How Trump’s engagement with Russia and critiques of the “rules-based international order” signal a shift towards a multipolar world.
Key Questions Discussed
- What is the future of USAID under Trump, and how does its potential dismantling affect international influence?
- How does Trump’s transactional foreign policy impact U.S. global standing and alliances?
- What are the strategic implications of Trump’s cabinet picks, particularly concerning intelligence and defense policies?
- What does the US-Armenia strategic partnership mean for Armenia’s national security and its positioning in the South Caucasus?
- How does the U.S.-Russia dynamic evolve under Trump, and what does this mean for global power realignments?
- What challenges does Armenia face amid growing regional instability, particularly in relation to Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey?
- How is the intelligence community being reshaped, and what are the consequences for surveillance, privacy, and national security?
- What role does Ukraine play in U.S. strategic calculations, and how does Trump’s approach differ from previous administrations?
Links Referenced During The Show
Wrap-up
That’s our show! We hope you found it useful. Please find us on Social Media and follow us everywhere you get your Armenian news.
Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.
Guests
James W. Carden
James W. Carden is a columnist and former adviser to the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission at the U.S. Department of State. His articles have appeared in a wide variety of publications including The Nation, The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, The National Interest, The Los Angeles Times, and more.
Pietro Shakarian
Dr. Pietro Shakarian is a historian of Russia and the Soviet Union and a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Historical Research at the National Research University–Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is currently completing his book on the major role of Anastas Mikoyan in Soviet nationality policy reform and de-Stalinization during the era of Nikita Khrushchev’s Thaw. Dr. Shakarian’s analyses on Russian and post-Soviet affairs have appeared in The Nation, The Plain Dealer, and various other publications. He was previously a lecturer in history at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan.
Hosts
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed is founder of the Armenian News Network Groong and co-founder of the ANN/Groong podcast.
Hovik Manucharyan
Hovik Manucharyan is an information security engineer who moved from Seattle to Armenia in 2022. He co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020 and has been a contributor to Groong News since the late 1990s.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by Hovik Manucharyan on the ANN/Groong podcast are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of his employer or any other organization.