Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Ukraine war status and U.S.–Russia dynamics
- Church–state tensions and religious prosecutions
- Opposition arrests, trials, and civil liberties
- Border demarcation, enclaves
Episode 483 | Recorded: November 3, 2025
Show Notes
Groong Week in Review, Ep 483 — Show Notes
Summary
Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan joins us and We cover the Ukraine war’s trajectory and why a simple “freeze” only defers conflict, review US–Russia dynamics under Trump, and consider how a China focus and possible Venezuela moves could affect Armenia. We examine Pashinyan’s confrontation with the Armenian Church and the wave of opposition detentions, then dig into border demarcation, possible enclave trades, and Baku’s “Western Azerbaijan” rhetoric. We also discuss a second-track meeting in Yerevan that included Artsakh-blockade figures, and Pashinyan’s new “Police Guard” plan.
Main Topics Addressed
- Ukraine war scenarios, manpower, timelines, and why a bare ceasefire is unstable
- US–Russia relations under Trump, Europe’s role, and a China-first priority set
- Church–state clash in Armenia, arrests near the Catholicos, and political timing
- Demarcation and enclaves, and the risk of false “equivalence” with 2021–22 incursions
- “Western Azerbaijan” narrative and settlement pressure on Armenia
- A second-track meeting in Yerevan that included a Lachin blockade participant
- The “Police Guard” concept and civil-liberties concerns
Key Questions Discussed
- If the front “freezes,” what happens next, and who benefits
- How far Trump can steer Europe or Zelensky, and how a China focus shapes choices
- What Pashinyan’s endgame is with the Church, and whether identity engineering is at work
- Whether Armenia will concede enclaves, and how to avoid false “equivalence” with 2021–22 incursions
- How serious Aliyev is about settling Azerbaijanis in Armenia, and on what timeline
- What confidence-building means if invitees helped blockade Artsakh
Thoughts from the Participants
- Benyamin: Be cautious after August 2025, weigh threats, and avoid wishful thinking as Armenia heads toward 2026.
- Hovik: Concern over limited and ambiguous backing from Antelias for the Catholicos amid church pressures.
- Asbed: Recommended the film House of Dynamite a modern take on nuclear-crisis risk, as a cautionary lens on current tensions.
Referenced Articles & Sources
- Brother, Nephew Of Catholicos Arrested As Church-State Standoff Deepens In Armenia
- Armenian Church To Fight For ‘Seized’ Monastery
- Armenian Speaker Rationalizes Another Azeri Demand
- Armenia’s Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Announces Intensive Contacts with Azerbaijan
- President: The return of Azerbaijanis to present-day Armenia should not frighten the Armenian people and state
- Police Detain Masis Mayor Davit Hambardzumyan Moments After He Steps Off Plane
- New Charge Brought Against Jailed Opposition Mayor
- “New page in history,” Pashinyan says at Police Guard inception
- Armenia Launches Police Guard As Part Of Domestic Security Reform
Wrap-up
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Guests
Benyamin Poghosyan
Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan is a Senior Research Fellow at APRI Armenia, a Yerevan based think tank,and the Chairman of the Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies. He has served as the vice president for research and head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense Research University in Armenia. Dr. Poghosyan was a Distinguished Research Fellow at the US National Defense University College of International Security Affairs. He is a graduate from the US State Department Study of the US Institutes for Scholars 2012 Program on US National Security Policy Making. He holds a PhD in history and is a graduate from the 2006 Tavitian Program on International Relations at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Hosts
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed Bedrossian is an IT professional, and for years oversaw the central IT enterprise infrastructure and services at USC. His decades of experience spanned across IT strategy, enterprise architecture, infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise applications, data center operations, high performance computing, ITSM, ITPM, and more.
Asbed founded the Armenian News Network Groong circa 1989/1990, and co-founded 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.