Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- A European View of America
- JD Vance in Armenia
- Pashinyan vs. The Armenian Church
- Europe and Armenia
Episode 516 | Recorded: February 9, 2026
Show Notes
summary
Philippe Raffi Kalfayan argues that “America First” has turned the U.S. into a harder, more transactional power toward Europe, and that Europe is exposed because it still lacks unified defense and foreign policy capacity. The discussion then moves to JD Vance’s reported Armenia stop and the TRIPP, which Kalfayan frames as a long-horizon corridor project that may be “secured” without securing Armenia, with unclear beneficiaries and success conditions Armenia does not fully control. The episode also covers Azerbaijan’s leverage, pressure tied to “returns” narratives, hostages in Baku, and the broader strain between Pashinyan and the Armenian Church, all set against Europe’s limited willingness to pay real costs for Armenia.
Main Topics Addressed
- Why Trump-era U.S. policy is unpopular in Europe, and why that matters for Europe’s security posture
- Europe’s structural limits (defense, foreign policy, and accountability gaps)
- U.S. goals vis-a-vis Russia and China (and the risks for Europeans)
- JD Vance’s Armenia visit as signal, and what Armenia should assume (and not assume) from it
- TRIPP mechanics and sovereignty risk (control, concession logic, beneficiaries, enforcement)
- The “asset protection” model (corridor security versus state security)
- Azerbaijan’s leverage, “return” narratives, and pressure tactics
- Hostages in Baku, and the limits of Western leverage
- Pashinyan vs the Armenian Church, and how internal conflict intersects with geopolitics
- Europe–Armenia ties, incentives, and where rhetoric diverges from action
Key Questions Discussed
- Why is the current U.S. posture so unpopular in Europe, and is it a long-term shift?
- Can Europe act as a strategic actor without unified defense and foreign policy tools?
- What does Vance’s visit suggest about U.S. priorities in Armenia and the region?
- Does TRIPP increase Armenia’s security, or mainly protect a route and its operators?
- Who really controls TRIPP, and why do “ultimate beneficiaries” matter?
- If TRIPP depends on peace with Azerbaijan and normalization with Turkey, who holds leverage?
- What can the West realistically demand from Baku regarding Armenian hostages?
- How does the Pashinyan–Church conflict change Armenia’s negotiating position?
Referenced Articles & Sources
- JD Vance booed at Olympics in Europe
- YouGov: How popular is Donald Trump in Europe? (Jan 2026)
- BBC Travel: How US politics is affecting international travel (Jan 2026)
- 168.am item referenced in discussion
- Azatutyun report referenced in discussion
- America First: Armenia’s Reckless Gamble
- Hypothetical Peace: Damaged Sovereignty and Turbulence in Perspective
- Armenpress item referenced in discussion
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
Philippe Raffi Kalfayan
Dr. Philippe Kalfayan is Legal Counsel and lecturer/researcher at the Paris Pantheon Assas Univ./Paris Human Rights Center. He is Assistant Judge HCR at the National Court for Asylum Rights. He served as secretary general of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and as Legal Expert for the Council of Europe’s Directorate General for Human Rights and Rule of Law. He has authored La France et l’Imprescriptibilité des Crimes Internationaux (Pedone 2015) and La Réparation des Préjudices en Lien avec les Crimes Historiques (TBR Pedone April 2026). He has been involved in institutional reforms and strategic projects in the Republic of Armenian for the last 30 years.
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.