Sergei Melkonian - Alaska Summit, Trump Corridor, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Our Way | Ep 463, Aug 17, 2025 [EP463]
Posted on Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Trump-Putin Alaska Summit
- Trump Corridor Politics
- Russian-Azerbaijani Relations
- Russian-Iranian Recalibration
- New Opposition Emerging - Our Way
Episode 463 | Recorded: August 18, 2025
Show Notes
Summary
This Week in Review covers the Trump-Putin Alaska summit, the rebranded Trump Route (TRIPP) through Syunik, shifting Russian-Azerbaijani relations, Moscow’s recalibration with Iran after the U.S.-Israeli war, and the emergence of a new Armenian opposition movement called Our Way. Dr. Sergei Melkonian analyzes the stakes for Armenia, Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan, plus domestic political shifts in Yerevan.
Main Topics Addressed
- Trump-Putin Alaska summit and implications for Ukraine and Europe
- Trump Corridor politics: Armenia, Iran, Russia, and the TRIPP project
- Russian-Azerbaijani tensions over SOCAR strikes and regional power shifts
- Russian-Iranian relations after the 12-day U.S.-Israeli war on Iran
- Armenia’s emerging opposition movement Our Way led by Samvel Karapetyan
Key Questions Discussed
- What was achieved at the Alaska summit, and is a negotiated end to the Ukraine war possible?
- Were Iran and Russia caught off guard by the Washington accords on the Trump Route?
- Who speaks for Iran when we interpret its divided responses?
- What are Russia’s interests and red lines in the corridor issue, and does the Trump Route clash with Point 9 of the 2020 ceasefire?
- Why are Russian-Azerbaijani relations deteriorating, and is TRIPP a cause or a symptom?
- How is Russia reshaping its diplomacy with Iran after the war?
- Does the emergence of Our Way mark a real reshaping of Armenia’s political landscape?
Referenced Articles & Sources
- RFE/RL: New opposition “Our Way” led by Samvel Karapetyan
- Reuters: Russia strikes SOCAR-linked assets in Ukraine
- RFE/RL: Govt to sell 20% stake in Viva Armenia (MTS)
- Hetq: Avinyan family villa at Lake Sevan investigation
- RFE/RL: Bagrat Srbazan recording released
- OCCRP: German ex-MP convicted in Azerbaijan bribery case
Thoughts from the Participants
- Sergei Melkonian: Azerbaijan is not interested in peace while the Western Azerbaijan agenda, prisoners, and the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh remain unaddressed.
- Hovik Manucharyan: Constitutional preconditions placed on Armenia make a real peace deal unattainable.
Kitchen Sink
- Tigran Avinyan’s father’s luxury villa at Lake Sevan (Shorzha)
- Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan case and release of the unedited audio
- Azerbaijani Laundromat update: German ex-MP’s suspended sentence
- Government to sell its 20% stake in Viva Armenia (MTS)
- Amulsar and molybdenum combine revived, with shares transferred to the state
- Pashinyan found in breach of ethics for indecent language
Wrap-up
Links and Resources
That’s our Week in Review, we hope you found it helpful. We invite your feedback and your suggestions, you can find us on most social media and podcast platforms.
Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.
Guests
Sergei Melkonian
Dr. Sergei Melkonian is currently a Research Fellow at APRI Armenia, a Yerevan-based think tank. He served as assistant to President of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian, on foreign policy (Middle East and post-Soviet space). Sergei is also a guest lecturer at Yerevan State University and the Russian-Armenian University.
Hosts
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed Bedrossian is an IT professional with extensive experience in enterprise IT infrastructure, IT security, enterprise applications, data center operations, high performance computing, ITSM, ITPM, and more.
Asbed is founder of the Armenian News Network Groong (ca. 1989/1990) and co-founder of the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020.
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.