Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Russia’s changing South Caucasus strategy
- Georgia’s widening dispute with Europe
- Armenia’s shift away from Russia
- Georgia’s role in regional transit
- Armenia-Georgia ties under pressure
Episode 570 | Recorded: July 24, 2026
#Armenia #Georgia #Russia #EuropeanUnion #SouthCaucasus #GeorgianDream #NikolPashinyan #MiddleCorridor
Show Notes
Summary
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Archil Sikharulidze about Russia’s shifting strategy in the South Caucasus and Armenia and Georgia’s diverging paths. We discuss Moscow’s assessment of Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process developments, Georgia’s widening dispute with Europe, Armenia’s shift away from Russia, and how regional transit corridors reshape geopolitical competition between Moscow, Brussels, and Washington.Main Topics Addressed
- Russian views of Armenia and Georgia
- Lessons from Moscow and Pyatigorsk
- Russia’s changing South Caucasus strategy
- Armenian distrust of Russia after Artsakh
- Georgia’s cautious policy toward Moscow
- Russian hard power and soft power
- Georgia’s dispute with the European Union
- Ukraine’s renewed engagement with Tbilisi
- Georgia’s role in the Middle Corridor
- Armenia as an alternative transit route
- The Georgian Orthodox Church and Europe
- Georgian Dream and conservative politics
- Western-funded NGOs and domestic politics
- Armenia-Georgia relations and regional competition
- Prospects for regional cooperation
Key Questions Discussed
- How do Russian experts now assess Armenia and Georgia?
- Does Moscow see Armenia and Georgia as linked cases?
- Has Russia learned from its past mistakes in Georgia?
- Can Russia rebuild trust among Armenians?
- Why do many Armenians feel abandoned over Artsakh?
- Does Georgia’s caution make it pro-Russian?
- Can Russia use investment instead of pressure?
- Why has Ukraine softened its approach toward Georgia?
- Has Kyiv accepted Georgian Dream’s political durability?
- Will Brussels return to a pragmatic policy toward Tbilisi?
- Can Europe bypass Georgia through Armenia and Turkey?
- How important is Georgia to the Middle Corridor?
- Is Europe’s dispute with Georgia cultural as well as geopolitical?
- Can Georgia remain European while defending traditional values?
- Is Georgian Dream protecting social values or using them politically?
- How similar are church-state tensions in Armenia and Georgia?
- Why did Irakli Kobakhidze quickly congratulate Nikol Pashinyan ?
- Are outside actors trying to divide Armenia and Georgia?
- Can Armenia and Georgia cooperate on transit routes?
- Can Russia develop a workable policy toward both countries?
Referenced Articles & Sources
Links and Resources
That’s our show , 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
Archil Sikharulidze
Dr. Archil Sikharulidze is a founder of the Tbilisi-based research institute SIKHA foundation, in the Republic of Georgia. He holds masters degrees in International Relations from Tbilisi State University, and Public Administration from The Robert Gordon University in Scotland. Mr. Sikharulidze is focused on Russian and Islamic Studies. Additionally, political processes and international relations in Ukraine, the South Caucasus and Kazakhstan. He writes extensively for various local and international platforms such as OpenDemocracy, NewEasternEurope, CommonSpace.EU, RIAC, and Russia in Global Politics.
Hosts
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.
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.
