Dr. Arman Grigoryan joins Groong to discuss Armenia’s post-2020 foreign policy and his argument that Pashinyan’s government has replaced one failed project, maximalist claims over Artsakh, with another: a risky strategic pivot away from Russia and toward the West. The conversation examines “revolutionary recklessness,” the roots of the 2020 war, Armenia’s worsening ties with Russia, the surrender of Artsakh, TRIPP and Syunik, Western encouragement, and the absence of firm security guarantees. Grigoryan also considers whether Armenia is gaining real sovereignty or exposing itself to greater pressure from Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia.
In this Week in Review, Asbed and Hovik discuss the fallout from the EPC summit in Yerevan, Armenia’s role as a platform for anti-Russian messaging, and Putin’s warning about a possible “separation” if Armenia moves toward the EU. They examine the Armenia-EU declaration, focusing on TRIPP, Ukraine, hybrid threats, security cooperation, visa liberalization, and the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant. The episode then turns to Armenia’s election campaign, Pashinyan’s claim that Artsakh was “never ours,” Aliyev’s parallel messaging from occupied Artsakh, pressure on opposition figures, the Swiss Peace Initiative, and sharp divergence between election polls.
Anna Grigoryan of Hayastan Dashinq (Armenia Alliance) joins Groong to discuss Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary election and the start of the official campaign. The conversation examines the EPC and Armenia-EU summits in Yerevan, EU political and financial support for Pashinyan, Aliyev’s remote demarche, and opposition protests around Artsakh rights, Armenian prisoners, and democratic backsliding. The episode also covers opposition coalition math, Hayastan Dashinq’s 8% bloc threshold, Strong Armenia’s lead among opposition forces, possible post-election governing formulas, Read More
Hovhannes Ishkhanyan and Nare Navasardyan discuss the growing role of the EU, fact-checking networks, and counter-disinformation programs in Armenia’s 2026 election environment. The conversation examines claims of foreign interference, the use of “hybrid threats” and “disinformation” labels against domestic dissent, and the political bias of Armenia’s fact-checking ecosystem. The guests also share personal experiences with lawsuits, public confrontation, protest, and censorship, raising broader questions about free speech, election fairness, and the management of Armenia’s information space.
This Conversations on Groong episode examines the Vedi abuse case, a disturbing story involving alleged sexual abuse of vulnerable minors and serious questions about Armenia’s law-enforcement response. Attorney Tatevik Soghoyan joins the program to discuss the known timeline, the delays between the first reports and arrests, the treatment of the victims, and the public statements by investigators and government officials. The discussion focuses on whether this was a local failure, a systemic breakdown, or a deeper case of political responsibility, while asking what Armenia’s justice and child-protection systems must do to prevent such cases from being ignored, delayed, or mishandled.
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, Dr. Anatol Lieven joins us to examine Russia’s place in a rapidly shifting global order. The discussion looks at the war in Ukraine, the state of Russia-EU relations after Viktor Orbán’s political defeat, and the uncertain trajectory of the war on Iran, including whether any real diplomatic offramp still exists. They also explore whether Russia’s relationship with Iran is truly strategic or mainly transactional, how China fits into the wider balance of power, and what all of this means for the South Caucasus, Armenia’s current path under Pashinyan, and Azerbaijan’s ambitions to turn wartime leverage into lasting regional influence.
This Conversations on Groong episode with Mikael Darbinian examines Armenia’s security crisis through the lens of the Strong Armenia doctrine. The discussion focuses on deterrence, diplomacy from a position of strength, Azerbaijani positions inside Armenia’s sovereign territory, the risks around TRIPP and the Zangezur Corridor, the rights of Artsakh Armenians, regional war scenarios involving Iran, and the gap between international political theater and Armenia’s unresolved national security threats.
This Groong Week in Review covers Trump’s Iran ceasefire, failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad, the naval blockade, and Washington’s war politics. Asbed and Hovik also examine “Operation Kochari,” Shahin Mustafayev’s secret visit to Armenia, TRIPP, border demarcation, Armenia-Azerbaijan trade, Azerbaijan’s destruction of the Stepanakert cathedral, Pashinyan’s response, the MPG poll, opposition coalition math, election fraud risks, the EPC meeting, legal pressure, mass surveillance, and Armenia’s falling press freedom ranking.
Hrair Balian joins us to discuss his book Anatomy of Peacemaking: Nagorno Karabakh Conflict & Missed Opportunities, the failure of diplomacy around Artsakh, and what Armenia should learn from the long collapse of the peace process. The conversation also looks at the Iran war, US and Israeli goals in the region, the TRIPP/Zangezur Corridor and its security impact on Armenia, and the role of outside powers in shaping outcomes in the South Caucasus. The episode closes with a discussion of Armenia’s June parliamentary elections, opposition repression, election monitoring, and whether international observers will judge the vote by facts on the ground or political convenience.