Hrant Mikaelian - Ukraine Talks, Armenia’s Crackdowns, and Rising Tensions | Ep 488, Nov 23, 2025 [EP488]

Groong Links:

• GIVE to GROONG
• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Guest Name

Topics:

• High-Stakes Ukraine Talks
• Armenia’s Growing Political Detentions
• Pashinyan Honored In Kazakhstan
• Rising Pressure On The Church
• Impeachment vs. Elections
• Pashinyan Seizes Power Grid

Episode 488 | Recorded: November 24, 2025

Show Notes

This episode covers shifting Ukraine negotiations, Kazakhstan’s diplomatic moves, Armenia’s tightening political climate, the government’s pressure on the Church, the debate over impeachment vs elections, the seizure of Armenia’s power grid, and the continued arrests of political opponents and media figures. We speak with Hrant Mikaelian about what these developments reveal about Armenia’s political direction and its place in a volatile region.

Main Topics Addressed

• Trump’s shrinking Ukraine peace plan and the Geneva reduction to 19 points
• Kazakhstan’s diplomatic balancing act and Pashinyan’s visit
• Wheat shipments, Russia’s “Kiss of Yerevan” statement, and the political backlash
• Vagharshapat election aftermath and the run-up to 2026
• Impeachment vs elections and whether they can happen in parallel
• The ENA license revocation and the power grid takeover
• Expanding political detentions
• Pressure on the Armenian Church and independent institutions

Key Questions Discussed

• Is the new proposal a Minsk 3?
• Which elements make the peace plan unacceptable to Russia or Ukraine?
• Why is Kazakhstan rising diplomatically and how does Armenia fit into its strategy?
• What did Pashinyan’s award in Astana actually represent?
• Was the wheat shipment meaningful or only symbolic?
• What do the Vagharshapat results signal for 2026?
• Can impeachment efforts and election planning proceed together without weakening the opposition?
• Why did Armenia ignore the Stockholm Arbitration ruling on ENA?
• How will the power grid seizure affect investor confidence?
• What do current political detentions say about the state of civil liberties?

Referenced Articles and Sources

Ukraine Peace Plan and Geneva Talks

• To End a War (Niccolò Substack)
• Analyzing the 28 Points (Korybko Substack)
• Washington Post on Geneva Reduction to 19 Points

Kazakhstan, Wheat Shipments, and Pashinyan’s Visit

• Tokayev–Trump Meetings and Agreements
• Kazakhstan–Russia Strategic Agreement
• Pashinyan’s Official Visit to Astana
• Tokayev Awards Pashinyan the Order of the Golden Eagle
• Shipment of Russian Wheat to Armenia

Russia’s Accusation and Armenia’s Response

• SVR Statement “Kiss of Yerevan”
• Pashinyan Denies Allegations

Electric Networks of Armenia and Power Grid Seizure

• Stockholm Arbitration Ruling
• PSRC Revokes ENA License

Political Prisoners

• Lydia Mantashyan Pre-Trial Detention Extended

If you want, I can now generate:

• 3–5 promotional tweets
• A YouTube description
• A short paragraph for podcast apps
• SEO tags optimized from these show notes

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

Hosts