Dr. Pietro Shakarian joined us to discuss the state of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, the shrinking chances for a diplomatic off-ramp, and how the conflict is shifting wider Eurasian politics. The conversation then turned to Armenia, including the likely freezing of TRIPP amid the Iran war, Pashinyan’s contentious visit to Moscow, and the deeper low point in Armenia-Russia relations. The final section focused on Armenia’s June parliamentary elections, public sentiment toward Pashinyan, fears over election integrity, and the evolving opposition landscape.

Main Topics Addressed

• Trump’s April 1 address, U.S. escalation, and the lack of a clear off-ramp in the Iran war
• Zarif’s proposed peace plan and the question of whether Iran can trust the U.S.
• How the war is affecting Iran’s global position, oil markets, Russia, and the Ukraine war
• Whether TRIPP, or the so-called Trump Route, has effectively been put on ice by the war
• Pashinyan’s Moscow visit, Russian pushback, and the worsening state of Moscow-Yerevan ties
• Pashinyan’s messaging on sovereignty, peace, and the symbolic use of the Armenia map pin
• Public mood in Armenia ahead of the June parliamentary elections
• Concerns over democratic backsliding, jailed opposition figures, and the possibility of election manipulation
• The Republican Party’s decision to sit out the elections
• Strong Armenia’s decision to run as a bloc with smaller parties
• The opposition’s challenge in linking security, economics, and regional strategy into a coherent campaign

Key Questions Discussed

• Is there still any realistic diplomatic path out of the Iran war?
• What exactly was Zarif proposing, and could it still serve as the basis for a settlement?
• How has the war changed Iran’s place in the world and Russia’s position in the Ukraine war?
• Has the Iran war effectively frozen TRIPP?
• What did Pashinyan’s Moscow trip reveal about current Armenia-Russia relations?
• Why did Pashinyan wear the large Armenia-map pin only in his meeting with Putin?
• Can TRIPP plausibly be sold as a security guarantee for Armenia?
• What is the public mood in Armenia ahead of the elections?
• Can the June elections be free and fair under current conditions?
• Is Pashinyan’s standing in Armenian society weakening in a meaningful way?
• Why is the Republican Party not running directly?
• Why did Strong Armenia choose the higher-risk bloc format?
• Should the opposition center security issues more directly, or tie them to socioeconomic decline?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• How Iran Should End the War: A Deal Iran Could Take
• Overchuk: Armenia is close to the point where Russia will have to restructure its economic relations with it
• Overchuk: No grounds to sell South Caucasus Railway concession; Rosatom ready to extend Armenian NPP operation
• Pashinyan hails very successful Russia trip
• Former Armenian President Sargsyan’s Republican Party to sit out elections
• Strong Armenia to form alliance two political forces
• Europe Press Freedom Report 2026: Tipping Point

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful, and you will SHARE OUR SHOWS with your friends on Social Media. That is a great way to support us.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

Our guest Anna Karapetyan focused on the widening Iran war and its possible fallout for Armenia, then turned to the narratives shaping Armenia’s election season. The discussion examined Pashinyan’s claim to have delivered peace, the taboo around speaking about Artsakh and Artsakhtsis’ rights, the uncertainty around the TRIPP corridor project, the political use of fear that an opposition victory would bring war, and the security and environmental questions surrounding a proposed AI data center. In the closing segment, the participants reflected on the broader propaganda environment in Armenia and on Formula 1’s continued partnership with authoritarian states such as Azerbaijan.

Main Topics Addressed

• The Iran war, ceasefire pressures, and likely short-term outcomes
• Armenia’s exposure to economic, refugee, and geopolitical fallout from the Iran war
• Pashinyan’s claim that Armenia is now “at peace”
• Azerbaijan’s continuing pressure, preconditions, and constitutional demands
• Whether TRIPP has been deprioritized or delayed by the regional war
• The growing taboo on speaking about Artsakh and Artsakhtsis’ rights
• The political use of the “opposition will bring war” narrative
• Fearmongering around a possible September war if Civil Contract loses
• The AI data center as a geopolitical project rather than a security guarantee
• Environmental and water-use concerns around the proposed data center
• Palm Sunday tensions and the use of church-related provocations in campaign politics
• Formula 1’s business ties with authoritarian states, especially Azerbaijan

Key Questions Discussed

• Do the United States and Iran actually want peace, or only a pause in this phase of the war?
• Is Armenia prepared for economic disruption, refugee inflows, and regional escalation?
• Has Pashinyan brought peace, or only a temporary arrangement tied to his own rule?
• Why would Azerbaijan sign a peace treaty if it gains more by keeping pressure on Armenia?
• Can a country be called “at peace” if citizens are discouraged from speaking about Artsakh?
• How is the taboo on Artsakh reshaping party politics and public behavior in Armenia?
• Is TRIPP still a real project, or was it more branding than a workable plan?
• Why are opposition parties not challenging TRIPP more directly?
• Does a foreign-backed AI data center actually make Armenia safer in wartime?
• Have Armenian authorities seriously assessed the data center’s water, energy, and environmental costs?
• Is the “elect the opposition and there will be war” message credible, or political blackmail?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik argued that Armenians should reject the narrative that there is already peace and that only Pashinyan can preserve it. He said Pashinyan himself has led Armenia into repeated wars, and that the larger Artsakh conflict never truly ended. He framed real peace as impossible without a dignified settlement that includes Armenians’ rights in their historic homeland.

• Anna said Pashinyan is using even Holy Week and church-related incidents for electoral messaging, including provocations meant to trigger emotional reactions that can later be weaponized in propaganda. She urged people not to respond on his terms and not to feed new narratives during the campaign.

• Asbed used the cancellation of Gulf-region Formula 1 races during the Iran war to criticize F1’s long-running ties to authoritarian states. He argued that Formula 1 has helped whitewash Azerbaijan’s record, including after the 2023 ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, and called on the sport to stop racing in countries with severe human rights abuses.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Iran rejects US proposal, lays out five conditions for ending imposed war
• Pashinyan says opposition is the “party of war”
• Data Now on the Front Line of Warfare
• Tech Impact Report, data center water use and cooling demands
• Microsoft data center sustainability and water efficiency

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

This Week in Review featured Asbed and Hovik without a guest. We discussed the death of Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II and the Armenian government’s blocking of Catholicos of all Armenians Karekin II from attending the funeral; the latest turn in the Iran war and what it could mean for Armenia and the wider region; Israel’s renewed ground operation in southern Lebanon; and Armenia’s June elections, including political prisoners, media freedom, Civil Contract’s campaign tactics, the opposition field, EU involvement, and Strong Armenia’s messaging on TRIPP and security.

Main Topics Addressed

Karekin II Blocked from Attending Ilia II Funeral

• Ilia II’s death marked a major event in Georgian religious and public life.
• Karekin II was blocked from attending the funeral amid Yerevan’s conflict with the Armenian Church.
• Armenia was represented by state officials, while the Church sent bishops from abroad.

Iran War Update

• Trump threatened strikes on Iran’s civilian energy infrastructure.
• Iran warned it could retaliate against regional states backing the U.S.
• Trump then announced a five-day pause tied to supposed negotiations.
• The hosts said the war still reflects a failed regime-change effort.
• They also discussed market pressure and the lack of an easy off-ramp.

Comparing Scott Horton, Eldar Mamedov, and Varuzhan Geghamyan

• All three guests broadly viewed the war as a failed, Israel-driven regime-change project.
• All three linked the war to possible pressure on Iran’s northern front.
• Eldar stressed Azerbaijan as a real but risky pressure point.
• Varuzhan stressed why Turkey and Azerbaijan may avoid direct war with Iran.
• Scott focused more on the larger regional architecture behind the war.

Possible Fallout for Armenia

• The hosts said Armenia faces serious strategic and economic risk from the war.
• They criticized the government for downplaying possible spillover.
• They raised concerns about refugees, trade shocks, and wider regional destabilization.
• They argued Armenia is not visibly preparing for severe scenarios.

Israel’s Lebanon Operation

• Israel’s new ground move in southern Lebanon was treated as a possible occupation step.
• The hosts argued Israel never truly withdrew after the ceasefire.
• They said annexationist rhetoric is now open and explicit.
• They noted Lebanon’s humanitarian toll is being overshadowed by Iran coverage.

Political Prisoners and Media Freedom in Armenia

• The hosts discussed a prosecution over a private Facebook message.
• They said several opposition and Church-linked figures remain jailed or under house arrest.
• They noted Armenia’s poor standing on jailed journalists.
• They questioned the credibility of Armenia’s “partly free” label.

Armenia’s June Elections

• Civil Contract, Hayastan Dashinq, and Strong Armenia were treated as the main contenders.
• Smaller parties and possible alliances were also discussed.
• Robert Kocharyan leads Hayastan Dashinq.
• Samvel Karapetyan remains the face of Strong Armenia despite legal restrictions.

Civil Contract Campaign Tactics

• The hosts criticized Civil Contract’s bus tour and staged campaign optics.
• They focused on Pashinyan’s confrontations with women voters.
• One exchange with a woman from Artsakh was treated as especially revealing.
• They said Civil Contract is running a fear-based campaign centered on war warnings.

Strong Armenia, Mario Nawfal Interview, and Security Messaging

• The hosts discussed Narek Karapetyan’s role in presenting Strong Armenia.
• They said the Mario Nawfal interview seemed aimed at an external audience.
• Strong Armenia appeared to support TRIPP if security guarantees are added.
• The use of retired Israeli General Zvika Haimovich drew sharp criticism.

EU Hybrid Rapid Response Team

• The hosts treated the EU mission as political interference ahead of the election.
• They argued “disinformation” can be used as a tool against the opposition.
• They said the mission weakens trust in a free and fair vote.

Key Questions Discussed

• Why was Karekin II prevented from attending Ilia II’s funeral?
• What does that say about the government’s conflict with the Church?
• Was Trump’s five-day pause a real diplomatic move or a tactical retreat?
• Is Israel trying to end the war with Iran, or widen it?
• Could Azerbaijan or Turkey be drawn into a northern front against Iran?
• How exposed is Armenia to economic, refugee, and military spillover?
• Is Israel’s Lebanon operation about Hezbollah, or long-term occupation?
• What does the private-message prosecution reveal about Armenia’s political climate?
• Why are opposition figures and clergy still under arrest during an election season?
• Is Civil Contract running on peace, fear, or intimidation?
• Who are the real contenders in the June election?
• What is Strong Armenia actually promising on TRIPP and security?
• Can any outside-backed security guarantee be credible right now?
• What does EU anti-disinformation involvement mean for election fairness?

Referenced Articles & Sources

Georgia, Church, and Karekin II

• Armenian Catholicos Karekin II’s presence at Georgian Patriarch Ilia II’s funeral remains uncertain

Iran War

• EU leaders call for moratorium on strikes against Middle East energy and water facilities
• Minimal Iran fallout expected for Armenia if conflict resolves soon, economy minister says
• Iran’s Northern Neighbors Are Facing Fallout From the War, Too

Armenia and Possible Spillover

• Jaishankar thanks Armenia for evacuating 550 Indian nationals from Iran; IAF strikes Khamenei’s plane
• India’s foreign minister thanks Armenia for facilitating evacuations of its citizens from Iran
• Indian students returning from Iran hit roadblock as Azerbaijan denies entry
• No influx of Iranian-Armenians, says Diaspora Commissioner

Lebanon

• BBC report on Israel’s renewed move into southern Lebanon
• NBC report on fears of invasion, displacement, and escalation in Lebanon
• Lebanon’s Aoun warns Israeli attack on bridge ‘prelude to ground invasion’
• Israeli minister calls for annexation of southern Lebanon

Political Prisoners, Media, and Elections

• Mikayel Ajapahyan will remain under house arrest
• Press freedom report: increasingly hostile environment for journalism

Strong Armenia and Opposition Campaigning

• Narek Karapetyan On Armenia’s Political Insanity, Iran War, Trump & More…
• Հայկական մտքաչափ, ձմեռ 2026 թ., sociological survey summary
• Russian Oligarch Brings Israeli General into Political Sphere of Armenia, Says Ruben Rubinyan
• Brigadier General Zvika Haimovich, IDF, Ret., NCLS 2020
• Մենք ՔՊ-ի, Քոչարյանի հետ չենք համագործակցելու, սա մեզ համար կարմիր գիծ է. Մարության

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

YoungMin joins Groong to discuss his visit to Artsakh after the 2023 ethnic cleansing of its Armenian population. The conversation focuses on why he chose to go, the permit and tour system that now governs access, the controlled and selective nature of what foreign visitors are allowed to see, and the emotional impact of witnessing emptied towns, redevelopment, and cultural erasure. YoungMin also reflects on how his own Korean background shaped his response to Artsakh, and offers closing thoughts on memory, recovery, and Armenia’s future.

Main Topics Addressed

• Why YoungMin chose to visit Artsakh, and how his broader interest in hard-to-reach places and conflict zones led him there
• The practical difficulties of entering the region, including the failed permit process and the need to join a last-minute Azerbaijani group tour
• His impressions of Baku, including major tourist scams that shaped his view of the country
• The long road journey from Baku through checkpoints, Agdam, Askeran, and into Stepanakert
• The scale of redevelopment and “smart city” construction in and around Agdam
• The permit system, landmine restrictions, and how movement is tightly managed by region
• The contrast between the other tourists’ curiosity and YoungMin’s sense of grief and moral weight
• Stepanakert as a largely empty city, with many buildings still uninhabited and a strong sense of silence and loss
• How the tour route appeared designed to avoid Armenian religious and cultural landmarks
• The remodeling or destruction of Armenian-linked sites, including the university area and the degraded state of the We Are Our Mountains monument
• The heavy bias of the tour and the sense that visitors were being steered away from the Armenian history of the region
• The state-led “Great Return” program, who appears to be moving in, and why the region still felt like a ghost town
• Comparisons with Mosul and other conflict zones YoungMin has visited
• YoungMin’s reflections as a Korean traveler carrying his own people’s history of division, trauma, and loss
• His closing message about remembering the past while building a stronger future

Key Questions Discussed

• What drew YoungMin to Artsakh, and why did he feel it was important to go?
• How difficult was it to obtain access, and what does that say about the current system of control?
• What was the route into Artsakh like, and how present were checkpoints, permits, and landmine restrictions?
• What did he actually see in Agdam, Askeran, and Stepanakert?
• How much freedom did he have to move around, speak to locals, or choose what to visit?
• Which Armenian landmarks or sites seemed intentionally avoided or obscured?
• At what point did the trip stop feeling like extreme travel and start feeling like entry into the aftermath of ethnic cleansing?
• What did the condition of Stepanakert suggest about repopulation, redevelopment, and the so-called Great Return?
• How did his own Korean background shape the way he understood Armenian loss and displacement?
• What hope, if any, does he see for Armenia after such a traumatic rupture?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Visiting Artsakh in 2026: The Country That Vanished Overnight — YoungMin Skies
• YoungMin Skies YouTube Channel

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We speak with Eldar Mamedov about the widening regional dimensions of the Iran war, with a focus on Azerbaijan’s role, the risk of a northern front, and the strategic interests of Israel, Turkey, and the United States. We examine whether there are any realistic offramps to end the war, how tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan have evolved after the Nakhijevan flareup, what Azerbaijan’s ties with Israel may mean in practice, and how recent constitutional changes in Nakhijevan may reflect deeper geopolitical shifts.

Main Topics Addressed

• The search for realistic offramps in the Iran war, and the conditions under which the main parties might consider negotiations.
• Azerbaijan’s officially neutral posture toward Iran, and the recurring moments when tensions break into the open.
• Eldar Mamedov’s argument that Azerbaijan is unlikely to directly join the war against Iran, despite inflammatory rhetoric and periodic escalation.
• The March 5 drone strike on Nakhijevan International Airport, Iran’s false flag claim, and the broader significance of the episode.
• The role of ethnic Azerbaijani rhetoric in Iran, and whether it reflects pressure tactics, domestic messaging, or a deeper strategic shift.
• Azerbaijan’s close relationship with Israel, including military cooperation, oil supplies, and possible indirect involvement in the war.
• Whether Azerbaijan serves Israel as a logistical asset, intelligence platform, or potential northern front against Iran.
• Reports of an Israeli Air Force strike on Iranian naval sites on the Caspian Sea, and speculation over possible launch routes.
• Divergences and overlaps between Turkish and Azerbaijani interests in the context of the Iran war.
• Recent constitutional amendments that reduce Nakhijevan’s autonomy and remove references to the treaties of Moscow and Kars.

Key Questions Discussed

• Under what conditions might the sides accept negotiations rather than continue the war?
• What are the incentives and goals driving each side in the conflict?
• Is the current situation between Azerbaijan and Iran under control?
• What explains Aliyev’s aggressive escalation and subsequent de-escalation?
• What evidence suggests that Baku will stop short of direct military engagement?
• How should Aliyev’s language about Azerbaijanis in Iran be understood?
• Does Israel view Azerbaijan as a logistical asset, an intelligence platform, or a potential northern front?
• How much influence do Washington’s neoconservative circles have on Azerbaijan’s posture toward Iran?
• If Azerbaijan does not formally join the war, what forms of indirect involvement or escalation are most plausible?
• How have Iranian and Azerbaijani media portrayed the reported Caspian Sea attack?
• Where do Baku and Ankara’s interests diverge, and do they view the Iran war through the same lens?
• Is Azerbaijan’s hosting of US and Israeli presence in Nakhijevan and occupied Artsakh a concern for Turkey?
• Could Azerbaijan play a role in any future dismemberment of Iran, and under what circumstances?
• What is the significance of Nakhijevan’s reduced autonomy and the removal of references to the Moscow and Kars treaties?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Will Azerbaijan Join the War Against Iran?
• Israeli Air Force attacked Iranian Navy sites on the Caspian Sea, Jerusalem Post report
• Nakhchivan loses autonomy in new constitutional amendments

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We examine the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran through a regional lens, focusing on the war’s broader strategic aims, Azerbaijan’s possible role as a northern pressure point against Iran, Turkey’s ambiguous posture, and Armenia’s growing vulnerability in the middle of these shifts. Prof.Geghamyan also looks at the geopolitical meaning of the TRIPP or “Zangezur Corridor” project, the recent centralization of control over Nakhijevan, and Geghamyan’s new book “The Armenian Wedge in the Path of Turan: The Issue of the “Zangezur Corridor,” on the historical roots and present danger of the corridor agenda.

Main Topics Addressed

• The current state of the US-Israeli war on Iran, and the question of whether military escalation has strengthened rather than weakened Iran.
• Whether Washington and Tel Aviv are pursuing the same war aims, or whether their objectives diverge at the strategic level.
• Azerbaijan’s deep military and energy relationship with Israel, and its potential role in opening or supporting a northern front against Iran.
• The political and military meaning of the March 5 incident at Nakhichevan International Airport, and why tensions rose and then quickly subsided.
• Azerbaijan’s constitutional amendments reducing Nakhijevan’s autonomy, and the significance of removing references to the Moscow and Kars treaties.
• Tensions and contradictions within the Turkey-Azerbaijan relationship, especially over Israel, Iran, and pan-Turkic ambitions.
• Turkey’s double game, anti-Israel rhetoric in public, continued strategic cooperation in practice, and possible long-term aims regarding Iran.
• Armenia’s exposure to regional pressure through the TRIPP or “Zangezur Corridor” framework, and whether current policy leaves the country more secure or more vulnerable.
• Varuzhan Geghamyan’s new book, The Armenian Wedge in the Path of Turan: The Issue of the “Zangezur Corridor”, and its argument that the corridor is part of a much older Turkish-Azerbaijani geopolitical project.

Key Questions Discussed

• Why are we in this war, and what larger strategic logic is driving it?
• Are the US and Israel pursuing the same outcome in Iran?
• What should we make of Azerbaijan’s behavior during the war, especially around the Nakhijevan airport incident?
• Did that incident represent a real attack, a warning, or a false flag meant to trigger a new front?
• Has Aliyev already made Azerbaijan a functional combatant, or at least a target, in Tehran’s eyes?
• What is the significance of Azerbaijan stripping Nakhijevan of key elements of its autonomous status?
• Why were references to the Moscow and Kars treaties removed now?
• Do Turkey and Azerbaijan view the Iran war the same way, or do their interests diverge?
• Is Azerbaijan’s Israeli and American alignment a concern for Turkey, or part of a broader shared strategy?
• What are Turkey’s real plans regarding Iran, behind its peace rhetoric?
• Could the TRIPP route become a military or logistics corridor in the context of war with Iran?
• Is Armenia’s current “diversification” policy a smart balancing act, or is it weakening the country’s remaining deterrents?
• What is the central argument of Varuzhan’s new book, and how has it been received?
• Will the book be translated into English?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• MAIRD Hosts Book Presentation of “The Armenian Wedge in the Path of Turan: The Issue of the Zangezur Corridor”
• Varuzhan Geghamyan on the Anti-Azerbaijani Wave in Turkish Media
• Nakhchivan Loses Autonomy in New Constitutional Amendments
• How to get Prof. Geghamyan’s books:
  • In Armenian: Թուրանի ճանապարհի Հայկական սեպը․ Զանգեզուրի միջանցքի հիմնահարցը
  • In English: The Armenian wedge on the Turan road: The issue of the Zangezur Corridor

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

Why Are We in This War?

• The current state of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran after 20 days of airstrikes
• Whether air power alone can achieve Washington’s and Israel’s goals
• The possibility that the war could expand into a ground invasion or long quagmire
• Whether the U.S. and Israel are pursuing the same objectives
• Whether this war makes the United States safer

The Predicates for This War

• How the public case for war conflicts with the longer record of U.S. policy
• The relevance of the 1996 Clean Break framework to current events
• The destruction of Syria as a precursor to the current war on Iran
• Turkey’s role in the campaign against Syria and its broader regional posture
• The contradiction between Turkey’s diplomatic rhetoric and its practical alignment with Israeli operations

U.S. Domestic Implications

• The limits of a “clean” air war and the search for proxy or ground forces
• Failed efforts to build broader international support to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
• Signs that a ground invasion option may still be under consideration
• The domestic political cost of entering war without preparing the public or Congress
• Joe Kent’s resignation and what it may reveal about fractures inside Trump’s coalition
• Whether MAGA supports the war, and what the conflict could mean for Republican prospects in a midterm year

Key Questions Discussed

• Why are we in this war?
• Are the U.S. and Israel pursuing the same goals?
• Is Washington using this war for broader global aims beyond Iran?
• What are Israel’s actual war aims?
• Does U.S. aggression against Iran make America safer?
• Would the war on Iran be possible without the destruction of Syria?
• How important was Turkey’s role in the campaign to dismember Syria?
• Are Turkey and Israel really competitors, or are they aligned more often than admitted?
• Could the U.S. actually launch a ground invasion of Iran?
• What would a deeper war mean inside the United States politically and socially?
• What are the implications of Joe Kent’s resignation?
• Does MAGA support this war?
• What does this war mean for Trump and Republican electoral prospects?

Referenced Links

• A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm
• Trump’s statement on the Iran attack
• Jon Schwarz tweet on Netanyahu memoir

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Arthur Martirosyan examines the ongoing U.S.–Israel war on Iran and its uncertain trajectory, focusing on escalation risks, strategic objectives, and potential diplomatic offramps. The discussion then turns to regional spillover effects, particularly the risks for Armenia amid Iran–Azerbaijan tensions and broader geopolitical shifts. We conclude with an analysis of Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, including the fragmented opposition landscape, concerns about electoral fairness, and contradictions in public opinion reflected in recent polling.

Main Topics Addressed

Iran War: Objectives, Escalation, and Offramps

• The conflict remains unresolved after more than two weeks, with both sides signaling continued escalation rather than compromise
• Limited clarity on U.S. and Israeli end goals and whether their strategies are fully aligned
• Discussion of realistic diplomatic offramps versus continued military pressure
• Escalation risks across multiple domains, including regional expansion and disruption of global energy flows

Regional Spillover and Risks for Armenia

• Iran–Azerbaijan tensions raise the possibility of a broader regional conflict
• Azerbaijan’s potential role as a northern pressure point against Iran
• Turkey’s possible involvement and implications for escalation
• Short-, medium-, and long-term risks facing Armenia under different conflict scenarios
• Strategic implications for regional connectivity projects, including TRIPP

Armenia’s Parliamentary Elections

• Fragmented political landscape with multiple opposition blocs and unclear alignments
• Civil Contract maintaining structural advantages heading into elections
• Questions around whether opposition forces can consolidate effectively

Electoral Integrity and Political Climate

• Concerns over fairness due to pressure on opposition figures and uneven institutional conditions
• Role of turnout and public dissatisfaction in shaping electoral outcomes
• Debate over whether elections can be considered genuinely competitive

Public Opinion and Political Contradictions

• Disconnect between government policy shifts and public sentiment
• Continued public support for Russia despite official reorientation toward the West
• High trust in the Armenian Church despite government pressure
• Civil Contract retaining leading support despite these contradictions

Key Questions Discussed

• Is there a viable diplomatic offramp in the Iran war?
• How far could escalation spread regionally?
• Could Azerbaijan or Turkey become directly involved?
• What are the concrete risks for Armenia under different scenarios?
• Can the Armenian opposition mount an effective challenge?
• Are upcoming elections likely to be free and fair?
• How should contradictory polling data be interpreted?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Arthur pointed to Hungary’s upcoming elections as a test case for how external pressure from Brussels may shape outcomes in nominally democratic systems, with possible implications for Armenia.

• Hovik argued that the controversy around the Genocide Institute reflects a deeper issue of passivity within Armenian academic circles over recent years, particularly regarding Artsakh.

• Asbed highlighted rising costs in the U.S. tied to the Iran war, suggesting that if regime change is the goal of the war, it may instead backfire politically inside the U.S., culminating in Trumpists’ removal from power in 2028.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Iranian official calls Ukraine legitimate target for Israeli drone help

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We discuss with Hrant Mikaelian the expanding war on Iran and what it could mean for the region. We took a close look at the latest IRI poll and its disputed methodology and findings, and the emerging shape of Armenia’s parliamentary race. Hrant Mikaelian argued that Iran’s leadership transition signals greater resolve rather than collapse, that Azerbaijan is still constrained from direct action against Iran unless the Iranian state seriously weakens, and that the IRI poll raises major methodological and interpretive questions. The discussion then turned to the opposition field in Armenia, where newer forces may have room to grow, but where media imbalance and weak opposition reach remain major structural obstacles.

Main Topics Addressed

Iran war update

• The panel discussed the 11th day of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, including attacks on Iranian oil infrastructure near Tehran and the broader economic and geopolitical fallout.
• Hrant argued that the selection of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei signaled continuity and escalation rather than regime collapse, and reflected the growing weight of Iran’s security apparatus.
• The conversation examined whether the war was likely to move toward diplomacy, what an American off-ramp might look like, and what Iran could plausibly count as a strategic victory.
• They also discussed how the war could affect the TRIPP and Armenia’s regional position.

Azerbaijan-Iran tensions during the war

• The hosts reviewed the rapid escalation after Azerbaijan accused Iran of a drone strike, followed by threats, mobilization, and then a quick de-escalation after the Aliyev-Pezeshkian call.
• Hrant described Azerbaijan’s behavior as opportunistic but constrained, arguing that Baku is unlikely to enter the war directly unless Iran faces state collapse or severe disintegration.
• The conversation also explored the apparent difference between the posture of Iran’s presidency and that of the IRGC on Azerbaijan, Israel, and the regional balance.

IRI poll review

• The show examined the latest IRI poll, focusing first on the polling window, sample size, reported margin of error, and especially the unusually high 22% response rate.
• The hosts and Hrant questioned whether the timing of the poll, during JD Vance’s visit to Armenia, may have affected responses.
• They also discussed Pashinyan’s meetings with IRI president Dan Twining, and whether the government appeared to have advance familiarity with the poll’s results.
• The discussion then moved through the poll’s substantive findings, including:
  • the sharp rise in respondents saying Armenia is moving in the right direction
  • the surprisingly lower salience of national security compared with other recent polling
  • household economic responses that seemed internally inconsistent, especially the rise in reported poverty
  • institutional trust, where the Armenian Apostolic Church continued to rate strongly
  • anomalies around recalled turnout in the 2021 election
  • party preference numbers, especially the gap between the IRI and Empirica findings on Civil Contract and Strong Armenia

Slide 2: Detailed Methodology

Slide 6: Generally speaking, do you think that Armenia is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?

Slide 8: What are the main problems Armenia is currently facing?

Slide 14: Household: Problems, Time Series

Slide 18: Satisfaction with Institutions

Slide 24: Institutions: Church

Slide 26: Institutions: Church vs. Church Leadership

Slide 30: Did you vote in June, 2021

Slide 31: Which party did you vote for in 2021?

Slide 34: Which party did you vote for if elections were to be held next Sunday]

Armenia’s political landscape before the elections

• The final part of the show surveyed the opposition field ahead of the parliamentary elections.
• Hrant framed the race as different from prior elections because it is no longer only a referendum on the current government versus former governments.
• He discussed the roles, prospects, and voter bases of:
  • Hayastan / Kocharyan
  • Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia
  • Arman Tatoyan and Avetik Chalabyan
  • smaller pro-government or spoiler-type formations
• A key thread in this section was that newer opposition actors may benefit from not being associated either with Pashinyan’s failures or with the older ruling elite.
• The episode closed with a discussion of why the opposition still struggles to convert dissatisfaction into support, with Hrant pointing to media imbalance, weak national reach, and a strongly pro-government broadcast landscape.

Key Questions Discussed

• What signal did Iran send by elevating Mojtaba Khamenei after the assassination of Ali Khamenei?
• Is Iran showing signs of military exhaustion, or does it still retain escalation capacity?
• Could Azerbaijan be pulled into the war against Iran, or is Baku still deterred by the risks?
• Why did the Azerbaijan-Iran confrontation escalate so quickly, then cool just as fast?
• How credible is the IRI poll’s reported 22% response rate?
• Did the timing of the poll, during JD Vance’s Armenia visit, shape the findings?
• Why do the IRI poll’s direction-of-country numbers differ so sharply from other recent polls?
• How can poverty rise while some other household indicators appear to improve?
• What do the poll’s church and institutional trust findings suggest about the coming elections?
• How can 68% of respondents say they voted in 2021 when official turnout was 49.3%?
• Why does the IRI party-preference slide differ so much from the Empirica numbers?
• Which opposition forces have real growth potential, and what is blocking them from reaching undecided voters?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• IRI: Public Opinion Survey: Residents of Armenia | February 2026
• Pezeshkian Apology Report, Politico Europe
• Iran-Azerbaijan Incident, Iran in Yerevan
• Aliyev-Pezeshkian Call and Aid Announcement, Ultra Ehsan
• Previous MPG Poll Discussion, Groong Ep. 521
• Pashinyan Meeting with IRI President Dan Twining
• Survey Response Rates Report, LAPOP / Vanderbilt
• Episode 521

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

On this Week in Review, we discuss with Hrant Mikaelian the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran, how it began, what the first days suggest about objectives, and how Iran has responded across the region. We also explore what an Iranian weakening or collapse could mean for Armenia, including how Turkey and Azerbaijan might behave if Iran becomes distracted or destabilized. We close with the commemoration of the Sumgait pogroms in 1988, and what Hrant describes as the through-line from Sumgait to later anti-Armenian violence.

Main Topics Addressed

• Iran war, early phase

  • The claim that talks were close to a deal, yet war began anyway
  • “Decapitation” framing, and how goals shifted in public messaging

• Civilian toll and escalation dynamics

  • Reports of strikes on civilian sites, including a girls’ school
  • How the first days shape escalation risk and the chance of a wider war

• Iran’s retaliation and regional spillover

  • Strikes on U.S. positions in the Gulf region
  • Iranian targeting of Israel, and the widening set of involved states

• What this means for Armenia

  • Armenia’s limited public messaging and practical constraints
  • How Turkey and Azerbaijan could react if Iran weakens
  • Why Iran’s role matters for Armenia’s security calculus

• Sumgait commemoration and present-day implications

  • February 27 to March 1 remembrance, competing death toll figures
  • The accountability gap, and parallels drawn to later events
  • Section 907 as a current political pressure point

Key Questions Discussed

• If diplomacy was “within reach,” why did war start anyway?
• Is the real goal regime change, deterrence, or force protection?
• How does Iran choose targets, and what counts as escalation control?
• What do Russia and China do, and what do they avoid doing?
• What is Armenia’s risk if Iran weakens, and what should Yerevan do?
• Why does Sumgait still matter for Armenian security thinking today?
• What is at stake with attempts to remove or dilute Section 907?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Oman mediator says US-Iran deal was “within our reach”
• Post cited on decapitation strike details
• Report cited on strikes on schools in Iran
• Social post cited on school strike and casualties

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Iran war fears, the state of US-Iran talks, and Israeli pressure for maximal demands
• Armenia-Iran ties, senior Armenian visits to Tehran, and how TRIPP affects trust
• June 7 parliamentary elections, rule changes, and claims of an uneven playing field
• Opposition landscape and how major blocs are forming ahead of June 7
• Escalating clash between the government and the Armenian Church

Key Questions Discussed

• How likely is a near-term war on Iran, and what are the red lines in the talks?
• Where do Trump’s instincts differ from Israel and US hardliners on Iran?
• Why the recent stream of senior Armenian visits to Tehran, and what is Iran watching for?
• How has TRIPP changed Iran-Armenia trust and risk perceptions?
• What does the current opposition lineup suggest about June 7 scenarios?
• Is the Church conflict targeted at Karekin II, or aimed at the institution itself?
• Who benefits from a weakened or divided Armenian Church?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Turkey evaluating potential measures in event of Iran-US conflict, source says (Reuters)
• Higher bar for electoral alliances (Azatutyun)
• Pashinyan announces pension increase starting April 1 (Armenpress)

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Launch of the new Deep History series
• Medieval Armenia research, and the Yeghegis scholarly project
• Why Vardanank remains central to Armenian identity
• What Armenian sources say about Avarayr (451)
• The geopolitical setup: 387 partition, 428 end of Arsacids, Persian administration
• Christianity, Church authority, and the dynastic catholicosate
• Nakharar politics, the Mamikonians, and elite fractures
• Re-reading Avarayr as strategy, not mythmaking

Key Questions Discussed

• What is Pogossian’s research focus, and why medieval Armenia?
• What is Yeghegis, and why build a full volume around it?
• Who were Yeghishe and Ghazar Parpetsi, and how reliable are they?
• Who wrote history in Armenia in this period, and for whom?
• How did the 387 partition reshape Armenian life and power?
• Why did the nakharars accept Persian rule after 428?
• What changed after the deaths of Sahak and Mashtots?
• What did Armenia’s internal offices (sparapet, marzpet, hazarapet, Church) mean in practice?
• Who were Vartan and Vasak, and what drove their choices?
• What parts of the standard Avarayr story rest on later tradition and weak reconstruction?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Books by Prof. Pogossian:
  • The Letter of Love and Concord
  • Medieval Yeghegis, Armenia: History, Archaeology, Society. Local Multiplicities and Global Connections of a Rural Centre on the Silk Road(s)
• Original historical sources:
  • Eghishe:
    • Eghishe: “History of Vardan and The Armenian War” (archive.org)
    • Video of Armenian narration of Eghishe’s history
    • Archbishop Boghos Levon Zekian’s analysis of Eghishe’s history
  • Parpetsi:
    • Ghazar P’arpec’i’s History of the Armenians (attalus.org)
• Battle of Avarayr by historian Hayk Hakobyan
• Interview of Hayk Hakobyan on Bun TV

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

That’s our show! We hope you found it interesting. Please find us on Social Media and follow us everywhere you get your Armenian fix.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

Main Topics Addressed

• Pre-visit context and optics

  • Vance’s broader trip optics, security posture, and the surge of military transport flights to Armenia and Azerbaijan (with no clarity on cargo).
  • How “historic” the visit was for Armenia versus the region, based on prior high-level US visits to Georgia and Azerbaijan.

• Protocol and the Tsitsernakaberd controversy

  • Vance’s solo visit to the Genocide Memorial, lack of Armenian official accompaniment, and what that implies about protocol and domestic politics in Yerevan.
  • The tweet wording change and the episode’s framing of “autocorrect diplomacy.”

• TRIPP and sovereignty risk

  • The deal structure as described (long-term majority US stake), and how unanswered terms shape sovereignty, enforceability, and future resale risk.
  • Why the corridor’s narrow scope benefits Turkey and Azerbaijan, and what expansions could have made it strategically useful for Armenia.

• Small nuclear reactor cooperation

  • The $9B “export” confusion, why transparency matters, and how SMRs compare to large reactor options on cost, timelines, and energy strategy.
  • Fuel route, uranium sourcing, waste handling, and long-term dependency risks.

• Firebird AI factory

  • The gap between PR claims and reported financial and operational signals.
  • Power requirements, grid realities, and what “value-add” would mean for Armenia.

• Defense sales, the Church, elections, and Baku

  • V-BAT drones as PR versus strategic utility, especially under wartime import constraints.
  • Vance’s silence on jailed clergy and church persecution.
  • Vance’s public endorsement framing tied to Armenia’s elections.
  • In Baku: the charter signing, public claims about prisoners, and how that contrasts with expectations set in Yerevan.

Estimate on Firebird data center power estimate

GPUs:
50,000

Rack configuration:
72 GPUs per rack
50,000 / 72 ≈ 694 racks

Rack power:
132-140 kW per rack

Compute load:
694 × 132 kW ≈ 91.6 MW
694 × 140 kW ≈ 97.2 MW

Add ~10% non-GPU IT overhead:
≈ 100-107 MW IT load

Apply PUE 1.1-1.3:
Total facility demand ≈ 110-140 MW

Key Questions Discussed

• What did the trip signal about US priorities in Armenia versus Azerbaijan?
• Why was Tsitsernakaberd handled as a quasi-personal stop, and what does that say about Armenian domestic politics and protocol?
• Who can enforce TRIPP terms in a crisis, and what happens if ownership changes hands later?
• Why insist on SMRs, and what is the realistic $/MW and timeline before 2030?
• If Armenia borrows for nuclear and AI projects, what happens to debt and strategic autonomy?
• Can US drone sales matter in a hot war if transit routes run through hostile or constrained neighbors?
• Why did Vance avoid public pressure on the church crackdown despite his “defender of Christians” branding?
• What did Vance actually do in Baku on prisoners, and which prisoners did he mean?

Referenced Articles & Sources

Tsitsernakaberd, Genocide recognition, and protocol optics

• Pelosi Congressional Delegation Visit Dzidzernagapert

Nuclear cooperation and reactor economics

• US and Armenia sign agreement on nuclear energy
• Vance’s “$9B export” figure sparks confusion
• Opposition figure comments on nuclear deal and China offer
• Rosatom VVER-1200 cost reference (Xudabao-3)
• Korea to resume construction of Shin Hanul 3 and 4

Firebird AI factory, data centers, and power draw

• How much electricity do data centers use?
• Supermicro GB300 NVL72 datasheet (rack power reference)

Elections, endorsement, and domestic politics

• Vance endorsement remarks on Armenia government site

Azerbaijan visit, charter signing, and “prisoners” claims

• Vance and Aliyev sign “Strategic Partnership Charter” (Minval)
• CivilNet clip on Vance and “prisoners” (X)
• Vance claims to have discussed release of prisoners with Aliyev

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.

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

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

James W.Carden and Pietro A. Shakarian assess Trump 2.0’s “Donroe Doctrine” framing as branding for coercive, deal-driven policy, then widen the lens to the collapse of “rules-based order” language and the rise of pay-to-play influence concepts like Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace.” The conversation turns to Iran, where escalating pressure, shifting demands, and regional signaling raise the risk of conflict and spillover effects for Armenia. The episode closes on JD Vance’s planned Armenia-Azerbaijan trip, how Moscow and Tehran may read it, and how corridor politics (TRIPP) and Armenia’s church-state confrontation shape the stakes.

Main Topics Addressed

• Trump 2.0 foreign policy framing (“Donroe Doctrine”), hemispheric primacy, coercion, and transactional expansion rhetoric
• Great-power signaling and arms control after New START’s expiration
• The erosion of “rules-based order” narratives and Trump’s “Board of Peace” concept
• Iran escalation dynamics, coercive diplomacy versus pretext, and Russia-China signaling
• US domestic cohesion, enforcement politics, and structural versus personality-driven instability
• JD Vance’s Armenia-Azerbaijan visit, corridor pressure (TRIPP), and regional reactions (Russia and Iran)

Key Questions Discussed

• What does the “Donroe Doctrine” label capture, and what does it hide?
• Is the hemisphere-first posture mainly about China, and how does it show up in policy?
• What does New START’s expiration signal, and who benefits from the leverage it creates?
• Was “rules-based order” ever more than a slogan, and what is replacing it?
• Is the “Board of Peace” a serious institution, or influence-for-sale dressed as governance?
• On Iran, are demands structured to produce a deal, or to engineer failure?
• What escalation steps are most plausible, and what could halt them?
• Is US internal turbulence a Trump spike, or an acceleration of long-running system stress?
• Why send JD Vance to Armenia and Azerbaijan now, and what message does it send to Russia and Iran?
• How do TRIPP and Armenia’s church-state confrontation shape the visit’s implications?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Axios: Tim Scott, Trump, and the Obama “ape” video story
  https://www.axios.com/2026/02/06/tim-scott-trump-obama-ape-video
• The Realist Review (Substack)
  https://therealistreview.substack.com/
• Dr. Pietro Shakarian’s book: Anastas Mikoyan
  https://iupress.org/9780253073556/anastas-mikoyan/
• Dr. Shakarian’s latest article on the topic in The Nation is JD Vance: A Prisoner of the Caucasus
  https://www.thenation.com/article/world/vance-russia-armenia-genocide/

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• “Canceling Russia” as a mass-scale political and cultural campaign
• Western strategy shift: containment to coercive transformation
• The “cancel Russia lobby” and the role of think tanks
• Trump’s approach to Russia and Europe’s burden-sharing
• The Russian Orthodox Church as a geopolitical and information battleground
• How Russian foreign policy is made (the “towers of the Kremlin”)
• “State-civilization” and civilizational discourse
• Degradation of the international order into “law of the jungle”
• Whether Russia could adopt a more unilateral style

Key Questions Discussed

• How did “Canceling Russia” begin, and how is it sustained?
• How has canceling affected academia and scholarship, including the guest’s experience?
• What explains the West’s policy trajectory from containment to coercive transformation?
• When and why did the window for coexistence close, if it did?
• Who makes up the “cancel Russia lobby,” and how does it function?
• What role do think tanks play in shaping the agenda and narrative?
• How should Trump’s Russia policy be read, real shift or tactical adjustment?
• How does pressure on the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine serve wider aims, and what risks follow?
• How do “towers of the Kremlin” shape policy signals and red lines?
• In Ukraine, were Moscow’s red lines misread, dismissed, or judged irrational?
• What does “state-civilization” mean internally vs. externally?
• Is it compatible with Huntington-style civilizational blocs?
• Why has “international order” weakened into raw power politics?
• Could Russia evolve toward a more unilateral “might makes right” posture beyond Ukraine?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Prof. Tsygankov’s recent books:
  • “Canceling” Russia (2026)
  • Russia’s Foreign Policy (2025)
• FIFA President Infantino added to Myrotvorets database (UNN)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Joel Veldkamp (CSI) returns to discuss CSI’s latest Armenia visit, including access to jailed clergy and the condition and message of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. The conversation then shifts to Armenia’s posture at international religious freedom forums, including the IRF Summit in Washington, and whether the widening pressure on bishops (including travel restrictions tied to the planned Austria assembly) is getting outside attention. The episode closes with the emerging international record, including a Council of Europe exchange involving Ararat Mirzoyan and questions about whether the government can sustain its narrative ahead of major upcoming international meetings.

Main Topics Addressed

CSI visits Armenian bishops in jail

• What changed since November 2025, when the Ministry of Justice was unresponsive to CSI requests.
• CSI’s delegation and what the visit aimed to establish.
• Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan’s condition and message after the visit.
• The broader context of detentions, surveillance, and pressure against clergy.

IRF Summit and Armenia’s international messaging

• The IRF Summit in Washington D.C. and Armenia’s participation.
• Whether Armenia-related church repression is being raised at the summit.
• The reported travel restrictions and criminal cases used to block senior bishops from traveling to the emergency Episcopal Assembly in Austria.
• The appearance (or cancellation) risk around Aram Vardevanyan’s participation.

EU and Council of Europe attention

• A Council of Europe moment where Ararat Mirzoyan is questioned about attacks on the Church.
• Galstanyan’s public reaction to parliamentary monitoring language about Armenia.
• Whether the government can sustain claims that there is no persecution, especially with an EPC meeting planned in Yerevan.

Key Questions Discussed

CSI visit

• What prompted this new visit, and what changed since November?
• How is Archbishop Galstanyan doing, and what message did he convey?
• What did the delegation aim to document or validate during the visit?

IRF Summit

• What message did CSI bring to IRF Summit participants?
• Did this issue receive attention at the summit, and from whom?
• Was Aram Vardevanyan able to speak, and did anyone else raise Armenia?

Parliamentary scrutiny and narrative control

• How credible are the allegations that church leaders face prosecution for threats or incitement, versus political persecution?
• Can the government keep international scrutiny limited, given upcoming high-visibility meetings (including the EPC gathering in Yerevan)?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Report mentioned at the CSI/ACPR conference: Injustice in Armenia: Mass political persecutions of 2025 (May–September)

• Council of Europe exchange amplified by CSI (re: Ararat Mirzoyan questioned):

• CSI tweets from Armenia (as referenced in outline):

  • https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/2019064982831329697
  • https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/2018777515272163653
  • https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/2018657968062185911
  • https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/2018745705532211565

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

David Davidian reviews Armenia’s 2026 External Security Risk Assessment from the Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS) and argues it reads like a generic public document, not a usable intelligence product. He and the hosts discuss why the FIS was split from the National Security Service, what a real risk assessment should deliver (priorities, methods, and actionable guidance), and where the report falls short. The conversation also covers how the report uses “hybrid threats,” how it frames Azerbaijan and the risk of escalation, and why the technology section (AI, data centers, GPUs) raises security and civil-liberty concerns if the state lacks data safeguards and governance.

Main Topics Addressed

• Why Armenia created a standalone Foreign Intelligence Service

  • The case for separating foreign intelligence from internal security functions
  • Questions about institutional maturity and leadership background

• What a public-facing intelligence report should do

  • State clear priorities and define what “risk” means in practice
  • Explain methods behind judgments (not just labels)
  • Provide actionable guidance, not only thematic coverage

• Probability language and analytic rigor

  • Critique of how the report assigns probability categories
  • What is missing: ranking, justification, and triggers that would change an assessment

• “Hybrid threats” versus soft power

  • “Hybrid” treated as a catch-all category
  • Is “hybrid” used as a political frame instead of an analytical lens?

• Azerbaijan and the “escalation is unlikely” framing

  • How the report treats escalation risk after the Washington track (August 8 meeting in the White House)
  • Emphasis on hard-security realities raised in the discussion, including continued occupation of Armenian territory

• TRIPP and strategic exposure

  • How TRIPP-related dynamics could shape Armenia’s risk landscape under regional escalation scenarios
  • Trade-route vulnerability and leverage risks tied to corridor politics

• Technology, AI, and data centers

  • Skepticism toward “AI/data center” messaging without a national strategy
  • Data custody, governance, and exposure to foreign leverage
  • Concerns about surveillance systems, personal data misuse, and weak safeguards
  • Concerns over the lack of policy, and good practice

Key Questions Discussed

• Why split foreign intelligence out of the NSS, and what problem was it meant to solve?
• What should a national risk assessment deliver that this report does not?
• How should probabilities be justified, audited, and updated?
• Is “hybrid threat” being used as an analytic category, or as a political label?
• How should Armenia assess escalation risk with Azerbaijan, and what gets underweighted?
• What does “AI” mean as a security issue for a small state, and who controls the data?
• What safeguards exist, or should exist, against misuse of surveillance and personal data?
• How should Armenia assess TRIPP-linked exposure if a major regional escalation unfolds?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Critical Evaluation: Strategic Deficiencies in the 2026 External Security Risk Assessment of Armenia (David Davidian, Shadow Diplomat)
• Annual Report on External Security Risks of the Republic of Armenia for 2026 (FIS, English PDF)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful, and you will SHARE OUR SHOWS with your friends on Social Media. That is a great way to support us.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

Summary

At Davos, Mark Carney’s blunt comment that the “rules-based international order” is a myth set the tone for a wider discussion about how small states survive in a system where rules get enforced selectively. From there, our discussion with MP Arthur Khachatryan moved to Washington’s announced visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan by VP JD Vance and the TRIPP framing, including what it signals for Armenia’s strategic direction, and how Iran and Russia may react. In further topics, we focused on Armenia’s Church-state crisis (including the bishops’ assembly moving to Austria and the Talin liturgy incident), the last known Armenians leaving Artsakh, and the emergence of a new opposition force tied to the Mer Dzevov movement ahead of the June elections.

Main Topics Addressed

Davos and the “rules-based order” myth

• Why public admissions about selective enforcement matter, especially for small states.
• Armenia’s post-2020 reality check, and what “rules” mean when power decides outcomes.
• How Pashinyan uses “world order collapse” as an explanation for domestic failures.

U.S. signaling: Vance trip, TRIPP framing, and regional blowback

• What the announced Armenia-Azerbaijan visit suggests about U.S. priorities.
• The logic and risks of TRIPP in a context defined by Iran and Russia’s red lines.
• Practical questions about “cooperation” headlines (energy, tech, nuclear) versus leverage realities.

Armenian Church pressure campaign and institutional rupture

• The bishops’ assembly moving to St. Pölten, Austria, and why that is historically notable.
• The “church reform council” pushback and internal church politics.
• The Talin episode and the pattern of coercion around worship spaces.

Mer Dzevov and the “Strong Armenia” party

• How Samvel Karapetyan’s case became a political catalyst.
• What “Strong Armenia” could mean for opposition alignment, vote splitting, and coalition math.

Key Questions Discussed

• If the “rules-based order” is not real in practice, what should Armenia’s baseline strategy be?
• What could Armenia have done differently in 2020–2023 given structural power limits?
• Does the announced U.S. agenda treat Armenia as a partner, a corridor, or a bargaining chip?
• How tolerable is open TRIPP messaging for Iran and Russia, and what risks land on Armenia first?
• What should Armenians expect from U.S. officials on political prisoners, clergy arrests, and hostages in Baku?
• Does holding the bishops’ assembly abroad signal escalation, defensive adaptation, or both?
• What is “Strong Armenia,” who is it meant to mobilize, and can opposition forces coordinate for June?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Thucydides quote (Goodreads): “The strong do what they can…”
• Convening Episcopal Assembly outside Armenia does not create any anti-canonical problems – Fr. Yesayi Artenyan
• Church reform council denounces planned bishops’ meeting abroad
• Bishop Hovnan to attend Episcopal Assembly in Austria
• Church defends Vienna summit amid pressure, false claims
• «Մուտքս չէր խոչընդոտվում, բայց իրենք ուզում էին, որ ներս մտնեմ ու մեկն էր ուզում, որ կաթողիկոսին չհիշատակեմ». Տեր Հայկ (Aravot)
• «Տեղում որ ասում էի, որ կաթողիկոսին պետք է հիշատակեմ, սկսեցին անհանգստանալ, որ ժողովրդի վրա ազդում է». Տեր Հայկ (Aravot)
• 11 persons voluntarily relocate from Karabakh to Armenia
• Arsen Torosyan Facebook post (Mar 4, 2019)
• «Բոլորին դեմ եմ» շարժումը կուսակցություն է դառնում. կմասնակցի խորհրդարանական ընտրություններին (Azatutyun)

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Bedros Afeyan speaks with photographer and photojournalist Erhan Arik about the personal shock that drove him to make Horovel, his long-term work with elderly Armenians in Armenia whose families came from historic Armenian regions, and the ethical choices involved in witnessing, listening, and photographing. They then discuss the return journey that became Ojakh with Diana Mkrtchyan, how authorship changes when the camera and narrative belong to someone else, and what it means to become a character in another person’s film. The conversation broadens to Gayan, Erhan’s Middle East work across several countries, and how Armenian identity, memory, and community adapt across different political and social contexts. They close with Erhan’s current documentary project Our Seeds (Tohum), using the story of an ancient wheat seed tradition as a metaphor for inheritance, rupture, and continuity.

Main Topics Addressed

• Erhan’s personal entry point into Armenian absence and presence, and why a single “hearth” image became a moral trigger.
• Horovel as a cross-border memory project, and the practical constraints of border zones and trust-building.
• The ethics of photojournalism: when the camera helps, when it harms, and how “distance” protects the subject’s story.
• A pivotal encounter with Dikranouhi Asadourian, and what consent and agency look like in practice.
• Returning years later and re-encountering people as time changes memory, expectations, and responsibility.
• Ojakh as a second trip with a different author, and how Erhan’s role shifts when the film is Diana Mkrtchyan’s.
• Gayan as a wider regional lens, and what remains common across Armenian communities in different countries.
• Our Seeds (Tohum) and “seed” as a non-ideological metaphor for continuity across generations.

Key Questions Discussed

1. What personal rupture begins a serious body of work, and why does it create an obligation to act?
2. What does “Horovel” mean in context, and what does that reveal about cultural loss and distortion?
3. How do you enter a community ethically when your presence can trigger pain, anger, or distrust?
4. Where is the line between witnessing and taking, and how does a photographer avoid becoming the story?
5. What changes when you return years later, and how does time reshape both the subject and the documentarian?
6. What changes when someone else holds authorship, and you move from observer to character?
7. What is shared across Armenian communities in Armenia and the Middle East, and what is shaped by local politics?
8. Why frame a regional project around “Gayan” as a gathering and searching point after catastrophe?
9. What can a “seed” story express about inheritance and survival that memory projects cannot say directly?

Referenced in Conversation

• Dikranouhi Asadourian Clip
• Gayan (Aras Publishing)
• Horovel (photo project and exhibit)
• Ojakh (documentary project with Diana Mkrtchyan)
• Our Seeds / Tohum (documentary project)
• Yearning / Garod (film referenced as an analogy)
• Ojakh, on the other side of silence - in original French, with English subtitles.

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

This episode examines major geopolitical shifts affecting Armenia and the wider region, focusing on Syria’s rapidly changing battlefield, the postponed but unresolved Iran war scenario, the growing controversy around the TRIPP corridor, and intensifying foreign involvement ahead of Armenia’s 2026 elections.

Main Topics Addressed

Syria

• Rapid Turkish-backed advances following the apparent U.S. abandonment of Kurdish allies
• Pressure on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to disarm, integrate into the Syrian army, and extradite PKK members
• A serious rollback of Kurdish autonomy in northeast Syria
• Strategic implications for Armenia, viewed through historical parallels

Iran Crisis

• Externally instigated protests escalating into deadly riots across Iran
• The U.S.–Israel–Iran war narrative postponed rather than cooled
• Russia reportedly serving as a backchannel to prevent immediate escalation
• War hawks framing the debate as limited versus large-scale strikes
• Iran’s post-2025 military rebuilding with Russian and Chinese assistance

TRIPP Trap

• Protests outside the Iranian embassy in Yerevan and Tehran’s warning signals
• Pashinyan dismissing Iranian concerns over anti-Iranian activity in Armenia
• New TRIPP agreements signed in Washington emphasizing sovereignty language
• Armenia locked into a long-term minority ownership position
• Regional consequences of sidelining Iran and Russia

Elections 2026 – Foreign Influence

Turkish Support

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s public endorsement of Pashinyan
• Questions of election interference and geopolitical double standards
• Turkey’s potential leverage over Armenia’s political process

Russian Support

• Armenia’s sharp decline in trade with Russia and increased borrowing
• Western and Turkish efforts to marginalize Russia in the South Caucasus
• Russia’s continued strategic interests despite the Ukraine war

Key Questions Discussed

• Why did the U.S. abandon its Kurdish allies in Syria?
• What lessons should Armenia draw from the Kurdish experience?
• Why was war on Iran postponed, and for how long?
• Is Iran militarily prepared for renewed conflict?
• How committed are Russia and China to preventing regime change in Iran?
• Does TRIPP represent a structural loss of Armenian sovereignty?
• Are Iran’s warnings driven by protests or corridor geopolitics?
• What is at stake in Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary elections?
• How do Russia and Turkey view Pashinyan’s role going forward?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Syria live: Government forces take control after heavy fighting with SDF
• Iranian ambassador warns Armenia over protests
• Pashinyan rejects Iranian concerns
• Mirzoyan and Rubio sign TRIPP-related agreements in Washington
• Hakan Fidan comments on Armenia’s elections and Pashinyan
• Armenia–Russia trade decline and borrowing figures

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

1) Return of 4 Hostages

• What the release signals, and why the continued detention of at least 19 Armenians remains the core issue
• Criticism of the terms and timing, including concerns about “hostage diplomacy” during negotiations
• The reported linkage to Armenia returning two Syrian mercenaries, and Pashinyan’s denial that this was an exchange
• Prior precedents of releasing convicted enemy personnel, and what that suggests about state policy and deterrence

2) Pashinyan vs. Church

• Why the dispute matters beyond personalities, and what it means for church autonomy and state neutrality
• Claims of external pressure and the wider pattern of state control over institutions
• Legal and constitutional questions raised by government and security-service involvement
• Political implications, including polling signals about social cohesion and trusted public figures
• Possible offramps that reduce social tension without granting blanket impunity

3) TRIPP

• What the Washington agreements suggest about the project’s logistics and direction
• How TRIPP overlaps with the November 2020 ceasefire framework, with a different external sponsor
• Likely effects on Russia and Iran’s interests, and how they might respond

4) Upcoming Elections (June 2026)

• What is at stake, and which themes may drive the campaign, including Artsakh
• Why opposition ratings trail the ruling party, and what it would take to win
• Hayastan Dashinq’s record over the past five years, including strengths and gaps
• Debate over “new faces” versus “formers,” and what that means for coalition-building
• Alliance options (Mer Dzevov, Wings of Unity), and Anna Grigoryan’s own plans
• External signaling, including claims of Turkish and EU support for Pashinyan
• Whether Russia still views Pashinyan as an “acceptable” outcome, and what may have changed since 2021

Key Questions Discussed

Return of 4 Hostages

• How should Armenia read the timing and intent of these releases?
• Do you expect more releases before June 2026, and on what terms?
• If this was not an exchange, why did the releases line up the same day?
• What message does prior prisoner release policy send to Baku, and to Armenian society?

Pashinyan vs. Church

• Is this driven by geopolitics, domestic politics, or personal conflict?
• Why has the opposition not pursued impeachment or Constitutional Court action for alleged unconstitutional conduct?
• What negotiated offramps could cool the conflict?
• How can society restore harmony without rewarding abuses by any side?

TRIPP

• How strong is the deal Armenia’s team negotiated with the Trump administration?
• What are the second-order effects for Russia and Iran, and how might they push back?

June 2026 Elections

• What are the core stakes, and will Artsakh become a defining issue?
• What must the broad opposition spectrum do differently to compete?
• What should we expect in Hayastan Dashinq’s makeup as elections near?
• Has external support for Pashinyan changed since 2021, and how does Russia factor now?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Christian Solidarity International: “Azerbaijan releases four Armenian hostages in incomplete exchange”
• California Courier: “Ankara Just Endorsed Pashinyan for the June Elections”
• Ishkhan Saghatelyan press conference (YouTube)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful, and you will SHARE OUR SHOWS with your friends on Social Media. That is a great way to support us.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

In this Conversations on Groong episode, historian Dr. Pietro Shakarian joins us to look at the riot-level unrest in Iran, Trump’s threats and pressure tactics, and what this could mean for Russia–Iran coordination, Armenia’s security environment, and corridor politics in the South Caucasus, including TRIPP. They also discuss Vladimir Solovyov’s recent comments on Armenia and post-Soviet Eurasia, then close with the release of four Armenian hostages from Azerbaijani captivity and what it may signal.

Main topics addressed

Unrest in Iran

• What is driving the protests and violence, given limited reliable reporting and internet shutdowns
• The roles of sanctions, economic hardship, diaspora messaging, and covert influence narratives
• Trump’s public messaging and threats, and how they change Iran’s threat perception
• Why Tehran may lean more on Russia and China under pressure

Russia–Iran partnership

• How the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has evolved since it was signed
• Post–June war rebuilding: air defense and missile stockpiles, and the role of suppliers
• How diplomatic coordination (including the Araghchi–Lavrov engagement) fits into the larger trend
• What a destabilized Iran would mean for Eurasian alignments, including BRICS, and for China’s role

Russia’s posture beyond Ukraine and Solovyov’s statements

• Whether Moscow now has more bandwidth for the South Caucasus and Central Asia
• What Russia might do if the US or Israel strikes Iran again, beyond standard statements
• How to interpret Solovyov’s rhetoric on Armenia and post-Soviet Eurasia
• Whether this signals that Moscow’s patience with Pashinyan is fading

Trump’s “TRIPP wire” in the Caucasus

• Iran’s red lines on Armenia’s sovereignty over Syunik, and how an Iran crisis could affect enforcement
• How Iran might read TRIPP’s “implementation framework” and Marco Rubio’s statements
• The impact of protests at the Iranian Embassy in Yerevan on Armenia–Iran relations
• What it means when US figures call on Azerbaijan to “be ready”
• Whether TRIPP pulls Israel deeper into the regional contest, and Armenia’s recent posture toward Israel
• Worst-case implications for Armenia if a joint US–Israeli strike on Iran proves devastating

Release of Armenian hostages

• Azerbaijan’s release of four captives (Viken Euljekjian, Vagif Khachatryan, Gevorg Sujyan, David Davtyan)
• How to assess the move for Armenia and the region
• Whether the timing connects to Iran or TRIPP dynamics
• The status of remaining Armenian captives in Baku

Key questions discussed

• Are Iran’s protests organic, opportunistic, externally curated, or a mix?
• What role do internet shutdowns and information warfare play in shaping perceptions?
• Does unrest push Tehran and Moscow closer, and around which shared threats?
• Which areas of Russia–Iran cooperation become urgent under domestic instability (military-technical, drones, ISR)?
• What would a destabilized Iran mean for the Eurasian balance, including BRICS?
• What role does China play as partner, supplier, or broker?
• If the US or Israel hits Iran, does Russia respond with more than condemnation?
• Do Solovyov’s comments suggest a harder Russian line toward Armenia’s current government?
• Can Iran enforce its South Caucasus red lines while under internal strain?
• How might Iran perceive TRIPP’s rollout and US messaging around it?
• Do protests in front of the Iranian Embassy in Yerevan change Armenia–Iran risk?
• Does TRIPP increase Armenia’s exposure to confrontation with Iran?
• Why did Azerbaijan release four captives now, and what does it signal?

Links & References

• Russo-Iranian Relations Amid the Rise of the Rest (Realist Review, Pietro Shakarian)
• Mossad spurs Iran protests, says agents with demonstrators in Farsi message (The Jerusalem Post)
• Donald Trump Truth Social post (linked in outline) (Truth Social)
• Trita Parsi on Substack (Substack)
• Luke Coffey post (linked in outline) (X)
• Azerbaijan Releases Four Armenian Captives (Hetq)
• Anastas Mikoyan: An Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev’s Kremlin (Indiana University Press)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful, and you will SHARE OUR SHOWS with your friends on Social Media. That is a great way to support us.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

Recorded on January 13, 2026, this Week in Review episode with Arthur Martirosyan examines how the prolonged Ukraine war has reshaped Russia’s leverage and long-term strategy, why a US–Israel–Iran confrontation now appears increasingly likely, and how Iran’s internal unrest and external pressure could open new risks for Armenia. The discussion also marks the anniversary of the Baku pogroms, reflecting on their long-term consequences, before turning to Russia–Armenia tensions and Nikol Pashinyan’s escalating confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Main Topics Addressed

Ukraine War

• Arthur frames the war as a broader confrontation with the West over post–Cold War security architecture, not merely a Russia–Ukraine conflict.
• He argues Ukraine cannot achieve a decisive military victory, and that the key issue is where the war stops and whether Russia can “win the peace.”
• Sanctions, technology denial, and drone warfare are highlighted as decisive factors, with Sloviansk and Kramatorsk discussed as major operational focal points.

Iran War

• The discussion treats the US–Israel–Iran triangle as fundamentally zero-sum, with little room for negotiated settlement absent regime change in Tehran.
• Arthur argues Israel’s objectives extend beyond the nuclear file to weakening Iran’s regional posture and triggering internal implosion.
• The panel discusses unrest, economic pressure, internet shutdowns, psychological operations, and potential spillover risks for Armenia.

January 13, 1990: Baku Pogroms

• Arthur argues the pogroms locked the conflict into a zero-sum trajectory and closed off any remaining space for a negotiated Karabakh settlement at the time.
• He connects the pogroms directly to the later trajectory that culminated in the depopulation of Artsakh and rejects claims that the Artsakh movement was a mistake.

Russia–Armenia Relations

• Solovyov’s rhetoric is framed as part of a broader “spheres of influence” worldview rather than an immediate operational threat.
• Arthur argues Russia lacks an attractive development model or modern soft power, limiting its influence tools to trade leverage and coercive rhetoric.

Pashinyan vs. Armenian Church

• Arthur describes the conflict as values-driven and externally shaped, aimed at bringing the Church under state control and weakening diaspora-linked influence.
• He argues that meaningful off-ramps are unlikely while Pashinyan remains in power, citing police protection of renegade clergy and direct state interference as unconstitutional.

Key Questions Discussed

Ukraine War

• How should Russia’s four-year foreign policy trajectory be understood, and what is Moscow buying with time?
• What kind of post-war security architecture does Russia seek, and how does it plan to force negotiations?
• What military inflection points could accelerate or slow the conflict?

Iran War

• What are the real objectives of a renewed confrontation: regime change, nuclear rollback, or broader strategic reset?
• Do the protests and unrest appear organic, opportunistic, or externally amplified?
• What would Trump’s proposed 25 percent tariff on Iran-linked trade mean for Armenia’s economy and logistics?
• Could escalation increase Azerbaijan’s strategic value and create new risks for Armenia?

Baku Pogroms

• What did the pogroms change about the conflict’s logic, and why did they foreclose negotiated outcomes?
• How should Armenians assess proposals to “close” the Artsakh issue in exchange for Azerbaijani concessions?

Russia–Armenia Relations

• How should Armenia interpret Russian media threats, and what do they reveal about Moscow’s real capabilities?
• What does Russia’s lack of a compelling development model imply for Armenia’s strategic options?

Pashinyan vs. Armenian Church

• Is there any negotiated path that restores social cohesion without granting blanket impunity?
• Are we already facing a durable schism within the Armenian Apostolic Church?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Trump TruthSocial post urging protests in Iran
• Luke Coffey tweet: “Be prepared 🇦🇿”
• NGO statement urging ban of Russian state TV
• Armenpress: Increased Azerbaijani petroleum imports
• Azatutyun: Police protection of renegade bishop / church standoff

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: Warns that the Iran crisis highlights large-scale psychological operations online, including bot amplification and platform-level signaling, and says he will not renew his X subscription.
• Arthur: Argues that Pashinyan’s challenge to judicial independence reflects a broader attack on republican governance and warns that Armenia is drifting toward a weak authoritarian system unable to withstand major external shocks.

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Kevork Hagopjian joins us to explain his thesis that Armenia’s current church-state standoff is a rule-of-law test. We discuss what the Constitution and international human-rights law require, why executive pressure on Etchmiadzin crosses a legal bright line, and how prosecutions, detentions, and scandal narratives can become tools of institutional control. We also examine the Bern conference on Artsakh, foreign pressure and narrative management, and the longer-term risk that a playbook used against the Church can later be applied to other independent institutions in Armenia.

Main Topics Addressed

• Armenia’s constitutional framework on religion
• State neutrality and church autonomy
• Executive pressure to unseat the Catholicos
• Efforts to cultivate “alternative” clergy structures
• Selective prosecution and pretrial detention practices
• The “intimate video” scandal as a due-process test
• Bern conference on Artsakh and regional blowback
• ECHR and other international legal remedies
• Risks of broader institutional subordination

Key Questions Discussed

Autonomy, Exclusive Mission, and State Neutrality

• What does “state neutrality” require the government to do, and to not do?
• How do “separation” and “exclusive mission” fit together legally, what do they authorize and not authorize?
• If the government says it is only exercising free speech, when does speech become state interference?

Engineering Parallel, Schismatic Structures

• What is the legal line between meeting clergy and promoting an internal church split?
• Are we already past the point of “alternative authority” creation, and what does that imply?
• Is this conflict used to distract from broader failures, and can society afford to ignore it?

Criminal Law as Leverage

• What evidence would show these cases are ordinary law enforcement rather than selective criminalization?
• How should courts apply pretrial detention standards in politically sensitive clerical cases?
• At what point does the accumulation of “plausible” cases become evidence of abuse?

The Intimate Video

• What minimum forensic steps should be required before officials label material “confirmed”?
• How do you separate lawful privacy enforcement from political exploitation of scandal?
• If church discipline is slow or opaque, what can the state lawfully do, and what can it never do?

Bern in Action and Reaction

• What makes timing and causality legally relevant, and what alternative explanations should be tested?
• Where is the boundary between protected advocacy on Artsakh and impermissible incitement?
• If foreign actors amplify anti-church narratives, what lawful state response preserves neutrality?
• What recourse exists through international courts (including ECHR), and what can they realistically deliver?

The Deeper Stakes: National Identity

• What is the larger institutional risk, what is being “re-architected”?
• Which global comparisons help (Poland, Bulgaria, Israel, Latin America), and which mislead?
• What guardrails prevent a slide toward a state-aligned “patriotic church” model?
• What does a clean off-ramp look like that restores trust without granting blanket impunity?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• When the State Hunts a Church: Armenia’s Steady Break with the Rule of Law
• Pashinyan’s “vision of reforming” the church (Armenpress)
• Refutation of a False Premise (Mirror-Spectator)
• Vehapar dismisses Bishop Gevork Saroyan (tert.am)
• Pashinyan says he does not recognize Saroyan’s dismissal (armtimes.com)
• Abp. Ajapahyan to appeal to the ECHR (Azatutyun)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful, and you will SHARE OUR SHOWS with your friends on Social Media. That is a great way to support us.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

Father Serop Azarian joins us to discuss Nikol Pashinyan’s escalating confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church, and what it may signal ahead of 2026. We examine the narratives used to justify state pressure on the Church, the role of “renegade” bishops and canon-law claims, and the practical stakes around Church property and independence. The episode closes with a short reflection on the Church calendar, from Theophany to Easter.

Main Topics Addressed

• The shift from a tense but functional Church-state relationship to an open political campaign against the Catholicos and senior clergy
• Whether the attack is driven by geopolitics, personal vendetta, or both, and how it connects to 2026 political planning
• The “reform roadmap” and what it would change (leadership, naming, governance, and state leverage)
• The “renegade” bishops: their statements, internal hierarchy, and what their participation changes inside the Church
• Canon law: how it works today, who has authority to change it, and what a state-driven rewrite would mean
• Stolen or unrestituted Church property, and how property access shapes Church capacity and independence
• The meaning of Theophany and Easter in Armenian life

Key Questions Discussed

• What stage is Pashinyan setting for 2026 in his confrontation with the Church?
• Is the driver geopolitics, personal vendetta, or an attempt to rewrite recent history?
• What is implied by renaming the “Armenian Apostolic Church” to the “Apostolic Church of Armenia”?
• Why is Archbishop Hovnan Derderian consistently listed first, and what does that signal?
• What do we know about the moral standing and public record of the bishops making morality-based demands?
• What is the current canon-law framework, how can it be changed, and what standing does the state have in that process?
• What would be the real effect of a new canon law aligned with the government’s agenda?
• How does this split affect quorum, governance, and the national episcopal council?
• What is the impact of the Church lacking access to historic property and land?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Swiss Peace Initiative summit in Bern (Catholicos remarks): https://www.kron4.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/816359399/swiss-peace-initiative-for-nagorno-karabakh-launched-in-bern/
• Azerbaijani religious figure claim on Armenian holy sites: https://www.thecaliforniacourier.com/azerbaijans-islamic-sheikh-calls-etchmiadzin-historical-azerbaijani-land/
• Anna Hakobyan post targeting clergy: https://www.facebook.com/wifeofarmenianPM/posts/pfbid0GN57zVZmxpzVB9wUTG1PKELHoL2zLRkxAH7xhHkjDaxjdgDs6WtUoSwjnY3Mr4uPl

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Fyodor Lukyanov joins Groong to discuss how Moscow reads a fast-shifting global landscape, from the U.S. raid in Venezuela and maritime seizures at sea, to Trump’s Greenland rhetoric, the stalled endgame in Ukraine, the likelihood of a renewed Israel-Iran war, and how TRIPP and “unblocking” disputes in Armenia’s south fit into Russia’s regional priorities.

Main Topics Addressed

• Venezuela, U.S. power projection, and what Russia can (and cannot) do in response
• Greenland and U.S. territorial rhetoric, viewed from Moscow
• Ukraine war endgame, Europe’s posture, and Russia-West negotiations
• Russia-Iran relations after the June 2025 Israel-Iran war, and prospects of a second round
• TRIPP, “Zangezur Corridor,” Nov. 2020 point 9, and Russia’s expectations in Armenia’s south
• Armenia’s June elections and foreign influence narratives

Key Questions Discussed

Venezuela

• What is Russia’s perspective on the U.S. abduction of Nicolás Maduro?
• How does Moscow interpret “our hemisphere” thinking and open U.S. coercion?
• What is Russia’s reaction to U.S. and UK-backed seizures of Russian-flagged tankers at sea?
• Are there parallels between U.S. claims in the Americas and Russia’s position on Ukraine?

Greenland

• Does Moscow see Trump’s Greenland rhetoric as serious, or as political theater?
• Does Greenland matter to Russia’s Arctic security calculus?

Ukraine war

• Why is the war still going on as it approaches year four?
• Where do Russia-West negotiations stand right now?
• Does Putin see Trump as negotiating in good faith?
• What would “closure” actually require, and what are the realistic off-ramps?
• Has the war made Russia more dependent on China, and did it open space for the West in places like the South Caucasus and Central Asia?

Russia and Iran

• Is a second Israel-Iran war inevitable, and is Iran more prepared this time?
• Has the Venezuela episode changed Russia’s calculus on how far it should go to help Iran?
• If Russia will not intervene militarily, what non-military tools does it still have?

TRIPP and Russian-Armenian relations

• What does Russia expect regarding east-west “unblocking” in Armenia’s south and the wider “Middle Corridor” debate?
• Why might Russia be re-engaging in the South Caucasus now?
• How important is the Armenia-Iran border and the north-south corridor to Russia’s interests?
• Does TRIPP risk inserting U.S. or Israeli assets near Iran, and does Moscow view that as a strategic problem?
• How does Russia view disputes around Russian Railways and Armenia’s rail concession?

Armenian elections

• Does the outcome of Armenia’s June elections matter to Russia?
• How does Russia view EU-funded programs framed as countering “foreign influence,” especially “Russian influence”?
• Is Pashinyan’s administration still a workable partner for Moscow?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• US actions in Venezuela ‘constitute a dangerous precedent’: Guterres (news.un.org)
• United States Action in Venezuela Puts Sovereignty of States, International Law at Stake, Many Speakers Tell Security Council (SC/16271) (press.un.org)
• UK confirms military support for U.S. seizure of tanker (ukdefencejournal.org.uk)
• Paris Declaration: “Robust Security Guarantees for a Solid and Lasting Peace in Ukraine,” statement of the Coalition of the Willing issued by France (consilium.europa.eu)
• Aliyev Confident About ‘Zangezur Corridor’ Through Armenia (azatutyun.am)
• Pashinian Insists On Repairs Of Armenia’s Rail Links With Azerbaijan, Turkey (azatutyun.am)
• Armenian Government Seeks Pre-Election ‘Help’ From EU (azatutyun.am)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful, and you will SHARE OUR SHOWS with your friends on Social Media. That is a great way to support us.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

In this first Week in Review of 2026, we’re joined by Hrant Mikaelian as we examine three developments shaping Armenia’s political environment and regional context. We begin with the unprecedented U.S. abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the implications for international law and smaller states. We then turn to the escalating confrontation between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, including renewed efforts to restructure the Church ahead of 2026. We conclude with a detailed review of the latest MPG poll results and an assessment of Armenia’s economic performance and rising national debt in 2025.

Developments in Venezuela

The United States carried out a special forces operation in Caracas that resulted in the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his official residence. The operation was widely condemned as a violation of international law, while several Western leaders publicly welcomed the outcome. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez signaled conditional cooperation with Washington, amid reports that elements within the Venezuelan leadership may have coordinated with the U.S. through intermediaries.

China and Russia criticized the operation and called for emergency discussions at the UN Security Council, but neither appears prepared to intervene directly. The episode raises fundamental questions about the collapse of international legal norms and the strategic logic behind Washington’s move.

Key questions discussed:

• Is international law effectively dead?
• Will Russia and China respond meaningfully, or accept the precedent?
• Could Venezuela become part of a broader geopolitical trade-off, such as Ukraine?
• What lessons should Armenia draw from this incident?

Attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church Continue

Christmas Day in Armenia unfolded amid heightened tension as state media ignored the official Christmas Mass in Etchmiadzin, while Pashinyan attended a parallel service led by renegade clergy. Days earlier, the Prime Minister and a small group of bishops released a renewed “roadmap” for Church reform, including removing the Catholicos, appointing a vicar, renaming the Church, and imposing new governance mechanisms.

Critics argue this mirrors the government’s earlier approach to the judiciary and reflects either a personal vendetta or a broader attempt to neutralize an independent national institution ahead of the 2026 elections.

Key questions discussed:

• What political stage is being set for 2026 between the state and the Church?
• Why have a small number of bishops sided with the government?
• Is this campaign driven by geopolitics, personal grievance, or power consolidation?
• Are these reforms genuine or punitive?

MPG Poll Analysis

Methodology

The MPG poll was conducted using CATI methodology with a sample of 1,000 respondents and a margin of error of approximately ±3 percent. The survey captures public attitudes toward national direction, social cohesion, trust in institutions, and political participation.

Slide 3 – Most Important Issues Facing Armenia

National security remains the top concern for respondents, followed by high expenses and low wages, the overall state of the economy, unemployment, and inflation. The dominance of security and economic issues suggests persistent public anxiety despite official narratives of peace and economic growth.

Slide 4 – Direction of the Country

A plurality of respondents believe Armenia is moving in the wrong direction. Only a minority feel the country is on the right track, reinforcing perceptions of stagnation and uncertainty.

Slide 5 – Public Mood in Recent Months

More than 60 percent of respondents describe the political situation as “very tense” or “rather tense.” Only a small fraction report calm conditions. This aligns with visible polarization, elite conflict, and the state–Church confrontation.

Discussion points:

• What are the consequences of prolonged societal tension?
• How does this square with the government’s “peace agenda”?
• Why has poverty remained high after eight years in power?

Slides 6–7 – The Voice of the People

Slide 6 – Ability to Influence Decisions

A slim majority believe they can influence political decisions, while a large minority feel powerless. This points to mixed civic confidence.

Slide 7 – Fear of Expressing Opinions

Most respondents report they are not afraid to express their views openly, suggesting a degree of social defiance or optimism despite political pressure.

Discussion points:

• Will this translate into higher turnout in the June 2026 election?
• Could participation alter the political trajectory?

Slides 8–13 – Solidarity and Trust in Institutions

Slide 8 – Overall Political Situation

A majority perceive high polarization, while a significant minority still see harmony and calm.

Slide 9 – Need for Social Solidarity

Nearly 90 percent agree that Armenia needs greater social harmony across political divides.

Slide 10 – Obstacles to Solidarity

Respondents cite fake news media, lack of social security, political polarization, and low trust in government as the main obstacles. Religious and cultural issues rank much lower.

Slide 11 – Trust in Institutions

The Armenian Church ranks highest in public trust, while the media ranks lowest. Government institutions perform poorly but are not at the bottom.

Slides 12–13 – Leadership for Healing and Unity

Respondents express limited confidence in political figures to lead social healing, pointing instead toward institutions outside formal politics.

Discussion points:

• What does high trust in the Church amid a state–Church conflict reveal?
• Is the confrontation politically miscalculated?
• What does low trust in media imply when most people consume pro-government outlets?

Armenian Economy in 2025 (January–October)

Against the economic anxiety revealed in the poll, we review findings from the Luys Foundation report. Major underperformance is recorded in capital expenditures, particularly in defense, infrastructure, education, tourism, and digital transformation.

State debt has increased sharply, adding roughly $1.4 billion in nine months and more than doubling since 2018. Despite rising debt, there is little evidence of corresponding capital projects, job creation, or wage growth.

Key questions discussed:

• How does underperformance affect ordinary citizens?
• Should rising national debt be a major concern?
• If debt is rising, where is the money going?
• What does this say about the efficiency of public administration?

Referenced Articles & Sources

Venezuela, US Special Forces Operation, International Reactions

• Secret meetings point to inside job to take down Maduro
• Merz: Maduro led country to ruin (Yahoo)
• Emmanuel Macron statement (X)
• Kyriakos Mitsotakis statement (X)
• China reacts with condemnation, but no threats (Yahoo Finance)
• Russia calls UN meeting on Venezuela operation (The Hill)
• Vučić after Security Council session: “Public international law no longer exists” (KoSSev)

Armenia, Church-State Confrontation

• Փաշինյանը հայտարարում է եկեղեցու «բարենորոգման» մեկնարկի մասին
• Pashinyan unveils major reform ‘roadmap’ for Armenian Apostolic Church: New Canon Law and Catholicos election (ARMENPRESS)
• Armenian PM Tries To Step Up Pressure On Church Head (Azatutyun)

Armenia, Economy and Public Finance

• Armenian economy and debt discussion source (168.am)
• Luys Foundation quarterly report (PDF)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

In this milestone 500th episode of Groong Week in Review, we assess how major external crises are shaping Armenia’s strategic environment in 2025, examine the stalled Armenia–Azerbaijan process, analyze Russia’s posture around TRIPP, and discuss the implications of a change in the U.S. ambassador. The episode concludes with an extended year-end review, where each participant evaluates their 2025 predictions from a year ago (in Episode 403), and presents high-, medium-, and low-probability forecasts for 2026.

Main Topics Addressed

• Foreign crises affecting Armenia’s security environment
• The Armenia–Azerbaijan saga and unresolved preconditions
• Russia, TRIPP, and regional leverage
• Change of U.S. ambassador to Armenia
• Year-end review of 2025 and outlook for 2026

Key Questions Discussed

• How do the wars in Ukraine and between Israel and Iran constrain Armenia’s options?
• What do Azerbaijan’s latest statements reveal about its real conditions for peace?
• How does TRIPP affect Russian, Iranian, and regional security calculations?
• Is the ambassadorial change a cosmetic move or a policy signal?
• How accurate were last year’s forecasts, and what lies ahead in 2026?

Year-End Review: 2025 Self-Assessments

Asbed Bedrossian (3/3 correct).
Asbed predicted that the Ukraine war would slow without a decisive resolution, that Gaza would remain a humanitarian catastrophe amid global indifference, and that Armenia would avoid regime collapse while relying on Western loans and accumulating debt. By the end of 2025, all three assessments were borne out.

Hovik Manucharyan (2/3 correct).
Hovik identified Iran as the main regional flashpoint and expected the Ukraine war to slow rather than end, both of which largely materialized. He also warned that Armenia faced no positive trajectory without regime change and that an Azerbaijani attack was a matter of timing, which did not occur in 2025.

Benyamin Poghosyan (3/3 correct).
Benyamin framed Ukraine as the central global variable of 2025, predicted Iran would emerge as the main regional flashpoint, and argued that no genuine Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agreement would be reached. Developments during the year confirmed all three assessments.

Outlook: 2026 Predictions

Benyamin Poghosyan

• High probability: Continued instability in the South Caucasus, with Azerbaijan preserving escalation leverage rather than finalizing peace.
• Medium probability: A slowdown or freeze in the Ukraine war that allows Russia to redirect attention toward its southern flank, including the South Caucasus and Iran.
• Low probability: A comprehensive and durable Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2026.

Hovik Manucharyan

• High probability: Pashinyan remains in power after the 2026 parliamentary elections, including through falsified or heavily managed voting.
• Medium probability: Ongoing political deterioration without decisive regime change.
• Low probability: A clean, competitive election producing a legitimate transfer of power.

Asbed Bedrossian

• High probability: A renewed phase of the Israel–Iran war, with Iran sustaining damage but surviving, and Armenia facing pressure to avoid being used against Iran through projects such as TRIPP.
• Medium probability: Armenia formally exits the CSTO, replaces Russian energy with Azerbaijani supplies, and issues notice for Russia to vacate the 102nd base, triggering severe regional consequences.
• Low probability: Pashinyan loses the June 2026 parliamentary elections, as most strategic concessions are already being achieved without open war.

Links & References

Articles and documents referenced

• Iran’s president says his country is in a full-scale war with the West
• Armenia, Azerbaijan Still Disagree On ‘Important Issues’
• U.S. Ambassador To Armenia Reportedly Recalled By Trump
• Azerbaijan MFA: 2025 year-end press release (26.12.2025) (PDF)

Prior episode referenced

• Episode 403 – Year-End Review & Predictions (2024)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Episode Summary

In this episode, guest host Bedros Afeyan speaks with documentary filmmaker Diana Mkrtchyan about her feature documentary Ojakh: On the Other Side of Silence. The conversation traces the film’s nine-year development, its origins in Turkish photographer Erhan Arik’s Horovel project, and the urgent effort to document the last living Armenian Genocide survivors in border villages. The discussion also addresses artistic responsibility, dignity in testimony, cultural memory, censorship, and the continuity between Genocide-era trauma and the recent destruction of Artsakh.

Key Exchanges Between Bedros Afeyan and Diana Mkrtchyan

• Urgency versus production timelines Mkrtchyan explains why Ojakh could not follow standard European documentary schedules, as many of the survivors were near the end of their lives. Delay meant permanent loss of testimony.

• Dignity over victimhood Both stress that the film avoids sentimental framing. Survivors are presented as composed witnesses, not objects of pity.

• The role of a Turkish photographer Erhan Arik’s presence undermines denial through human encounter rather than argument.

• State silence versus living memory Despite minimal institutional support, audiences traveled from border regions to see the film.

• From 1915 to Artsakh The discussion draws a direct line between Genocide testimonies and Mkrtchyan’s documentation of Artsakh.

Diana’s Top 17 List of Films

1. Earth - 1930 - Oleksandr Dovzhenko
2. The Color of Pomegranates - 1969 - Sergei Parajanov
3. The Commissar - 1967 Alexander Askoldov
4. ⁠Time of the Gypsies — 1988 — Emir Kusturica
5. ⁠Andrei Rublev — 1966 — Andrei Tarkovsky
6. ⁠Silent Light — 2007 — Carlos Reygadas
7. ⁠Under the Sun of Satan — 1987 — Maurice Pialat
8. ⁠Once Upon a Time in Anatolia — 2011 — Nuri Bilge Ceylan
9. ⁠The Color of Paradise — 1999 — Majid Majidi
10. ⁠Eternity and a Day — 1998 — Theo Angelopoulos
11. ⁠No Bears — 2022 — Jafar Panahi
12. ⁠Autumn Sun — 1977 — Bagrat Hovhannisyan
13. ⁠Before, Now & Then — 2022 — Kamila Andini
14. ⁠Beyond the Clouds — 1995 — Michelangelo Antonioni
15. ⁠The Virgin Spring — 1960 — Ingmar Bergman
16. The Horse of Turin - 2011 - Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky
17. The Tree of Life - 2011 - Terrence Malick

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Ojakh, on the other side of silence - in original French, with English subtitles.
• The Critical Corner (TCC) – ANN/Groong
• Bedros Afeyan, A Critical Essay on the Movie Ojakh: A Marvel to Behold (Dec 15, 2025)
• Erhan Arik – Horovel Photography Exhibit

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Topics Covered

Ukraine War Update

Ukraine’s battlefield situation continues to deteriorate, with reports of Ukrainian withdrawals from key positions amid shortages of weapons, manpower, and electricity. European leaders are increasingly divided on how to proceed, as French President Emmanuel Macron shifts toward dialogue with Moscow while blocking German efforts to seize Russian assets for Ukraine and lobbying to restore nuclear fuel cooperation with Russia.

Key developments discussed:

• Ukraine battlefield setbacks https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251223-live-russia-launches-air-attack-on-kyi-after-latest-round-of-peace-talks
• Macron–Putin dialogue https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/12/22/ukraine-peace-talks-stall-as-putin-says-ready-for-dialogue-with-macron_6748749_4.html
• Macron blocks asset seizure https://www.voxnews.al/english/kosovabota/prapaskenat-macron-tradhtoi-merz-in-per-ukrainen-i106907
• Nuclear fuel lobbying https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/current/russian-nuclear-energy-rosatom-framatome-germany-eu-trade-economy/
• Assassination of Russian general https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/22/moscow-car-bomb-kills-russian-general

Pashinyan vs. the Catholicos

Etchmiadzin Under Siege

Following public denials of state involvement, events at Holy Etchmiadzin suggested coordinated pressure against the Armenian Apostolic Church. Ten renegade archbishops attempted to force the Catholicos’s resignation during evening worship, backed by security forces, while large crowds of supporters prevented their entry.

• Armenian Weekly report https://armenianweekly.com/2025/12/22/pashinyan-orders-invasion-of-holy-etchmiadzins-sacred-grounds/
• Police and NSS escort details https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33628203.html

The KGB “Leak”

A day later, civic.am published a purportedly declassified KGB document alleging that Archbishop Ezras, the Catholicos’s brother, collaborated with Soviet intelligence in 1986–1988. The document raised major authenticity concerns, including format irregularities, Armenian-language text, and lack of confirmation by the National Security Service.

• civic.am leak https://civic.am/news/107580

December 28

Media reports claim that Pashinyan plans to personally go to Etchmiadzin on December 28 to force the Catholicos’s removal, marking a potential escalation from indirect pressure to direct confrontation.

• Media report https://24news.am/politics/483159

Transport and Communications

The “Peace Dividend”

The government promoted the arrival of Azerbaijani fuel to Armenia as the first bilateral commercial transaction in decades, framing it as an early peace dividend under the August 8 Washington framework. Critics questioned the political nature of the deal, Georgia’s one-time transit waiver, lack of formal relations with Azerbaijan, and whether the fuel actually reduces dependence on Russia.

• Fuel shipment report https://asbarez.com/first-shipment-of-azerbaijani-fuel-to-arrive-in-armenia/
• Dependence on Russian imports https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-azerbaijan-gasoline-russia-imports/33628610.html

T(rump)RIPP vs. P(utin)RIPP

Russia reasserted its claim over transit routes under the November 10, 2020 statement, signaling readiness to participate in the TRIPP project based on rail concessions, border guard presence, and Armenia’s EAEU membership. Pashinyan rejected Russian involvement, insisting TRIPP is a bilateral Armenia–U.S. initiative.

• Armenpress report https://armenpress.am/en/article/1237639

Key Questions Discussed

• Does Europe’s internal division over Ukraine signal a shift toward negotiations with Russia?
• Did public resistance at Etchmiadzin represent a rare defeat for Pashinyan?
• Is the campaign against the Church legal, political, or personal?
• What purpose did the KGB “leak” serve, regardless of authenticity?
• Is Azerbaijani fuel a genuine peace dividend or political theater?
• Can Armenia realistically balance U.S. and Russian interests in TRIPP?

Links Referenced During The Show

• https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251223-live-russia-launches-air-attack-on-kyi-after-latest-round-of-peace-talks
• https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/12/22/ukraine-peace-talks-stall-as-putin-says-ready-for-dialogue-with-macron_6748749_4.html
• https://www.voxnews.al/english/kosovabota/prapaskenat-macron-tradhtoi-merz-in-per-ukrainen-i106907
• https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/current/russian-nuclear-energy-rosatom-framatome-germany-eu-trade-economy/
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/22/moscow-car-bomb-kills-russian-general
• https://armenianweekly.com/2025/12/22/pashinyan-orders-invasion-of-holy-etchmiadzins-sacred-grounds/
• https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33628203.html
• https://civic.am/news/107580
• https://24news.am/politics/483159
• https://asbarez.com/first-shipment-of-azerbaijani-fuel-to-arrive-in-armenia/
• https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-azerbaijan-gasoline-russia-imports/33628610.html
• https://armenpress.am/en/article/1237639

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: Archbishop Hovnan Derderian should explain himself. Reflections on interview with Father Serob Azarian https://youtu.be/jaOys5ug8VE
• Dziunik: Disrespect for the state and disrespect for the Church.

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.

Imnemnimi / Antifake Case

The discussion opens with the case of the Imnemnimi podcasters from Antifake, which illustrates how repression functions in practice. Two podcasters were arrested twice for speech expressed on a political podcast. Although insult has been decriminalized, authorities reclassified their words as “online hooliganism,” seized their equipment, and crippled their newsroom.

The same podcasters were previously detained in March 2024 on identical charges and were later acquitted in May 2025. Despite the acquittal, authorities re-arrested them and again imposed pre-trial detention.

Referenced links

• Acquittal of Antifake podcasters (OC Media): https://oc-media.org/armenian-anti-government-podcast-hosts-acquitted-of-hooliganism-charges-after-insulting-pm/
• Council of Europe Safety of Journalists Platform alert: https://fom.coe.int/en/alerte/detail/107643293
• ACPR statement on the Antifake case (Nov 14, 2025): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b-kuEpHJui1heNOgj5yHz0mtpvfn9-H5/view

Lawyers Under Pressure

The episode then turns to the arrest of two lawyers in November, highlighting that even the legal profession is no longer protected when it defends politically sensitive cases.

• Aleksander Kochubaev was jailed after publishing a harsh Facebook post criticizing judges and prosecutors over church-related cases, under a criminal article that does not apply to insults.
• Ruben Mkhitaryan was arrested while present as a lawyer at a protest outside Gyumri City Hall, where he was negotiating with police and raising his hands. Despite video evidence showing no unlawful conduct, he was charged with mass disorder and interference with justice.

Referenced links

• ACPR statement on Aleksander Kochubaev (Oct 17, 2025): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TFHTHD3D5V7EXz_EQiG1juR4WePiTm5-/view
• ACPR statement on Ruben Mkhitaryan (Oct 27, 2025): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1msixBSSSliim7AtJHzrG5LmYq77wM9Jo/view

Mass Political Persecutions of 2025

Setting the Context

In early November, the ACPR published a comprehensive report documenting major political prosecutions between May and September 2025, examining why repression escalated during this period and how political control over law enforcement and the judiciary has intensified.

Referenced link

• ACPR report: Mass political persecutions of 2025 (May–September) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cF8bcqCOAgPDCaK9Oa-uDFxCCEH5CwHv/view

The report also notes that months have passed since these incidents without meaningful assessment or condemnation from international bodies.

The Case of Samvel Karapetyan and Supporters

One highlighted case involves Samvel Karapetyan and those associated with him. Beyond the charges themselves, the defining feature is the collective nature of enforcement, with supporters targeted through arrests, pressure, and legal action.

Karapetyan was arrested for stating: “If politicians do not succeed, we will take part in our own way,” which authorities interpreted as a call to seize power. Even an expert witness who concluded otherwise later had his home searched.

The Case of the “Holy Struggle” (Srbazan Baykar) Movement

The report also analyzes the treatment of participants in the “Holy Struggle” movement, led in 2024 by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. The movement combined religious motivation and civic activism and was met with a particularly forceful response.

Members of the government characterized the movement as terrorism and likened it to October 27, despite the absence of publicly available evidence supporting such claims.

The Case of Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan

The case of Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan extends the discussion into the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to the report, legal and administrative pressure in this case served to draw boundaries around acceptable religious and public speech rather than to address criminal conduct, demonstrating that senior clergy are not immune from political pressure.

Coordinated Campaign Against Human Rights Defenders

Beyond arrests and courtrooms, the report documents a coordinated information campaign against human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and clergy supporters. These actors are portrayed as foreign agents, particularly Russian agents, extremists, or threats to Armenia’s national interests. The campaign works in parallel with legal action to undermine credibility and public trust.

Article 236

The episode concludes with a discussion of Article 236 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, informed by a 2025 Venice Commission decision. Article 236 criminalizes interference with assemblies and so-called material incentivizing of participation or non-participation in protests. The Venice Commission warned that the provision is overly vague and grants excessive discretion, making it incompatible with legal certainty and freedom of assembly.

Referenced links

• Venice Commission decision on Article 236: https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-AD(2025)037-e
• Avetik Chalabyan detention (4 months): https://armhels.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Joint_Report_HCA_ACPR_10.01.2024_ARM_REVISED-1.pdf
• Gerasim Vardanyan detention (6 months): https://alphanews.am/en/my-friends-and-i-were-detained-for-six-months-on-fabricated-charges-gerasim-vardanyan/

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful, and you will SHARE OUR SHOWS with your friends on Social Media. That is a great way to support us.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

Main Topics Addressed

Armenia Between the West and Russia

• Pashinyan’s official visit to Germany followed by a working visit to Russia for the EAEU Intergovernmental Council
• Western framing of peace, EU alignment, and transport corridors as a single package
• Public signaling toward EU membership while remaining inside the EAEU
• Russia’s growing unease over Armenia’s strategic ambiguity

EU Engagement and Informal Pressure

• Pashinyan’s statement that EU membership is a goal, even if leaving the EAEU is not
• Ararat Mirzoyan’s informal participation in the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels
• Reports that Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary elections were discussed during an informal EU breakfast
• Questions around EU expectations, including sanctions on Russia

Church–State Confrontation

• Pashinyan’s shifting justifications for confronting the Armenian Apostolic Church
• Proposal for Catholicos Garegin II’s resignation and appointment of a caretaker vicar
• Government-driven canon law reform, clergy vetting, and political restrictions
• Constitutional implications of state interference in church affairs

Artsakh, Concessions, and Right of Return

• Post-2020 and post-2023 concessions culminating in the loss of Artsakh
• Azerbaijan’s demand for the “return” of 1990s Azerbaijani refugees to Armenia
• Armenia’s effective closure of the Artsakh Armenians’ right of return
• Pashinyan’s proposal to drop Artsakh return claims in exchange for Azerbaijan abandoning the “Western Azerbaijan” narrative

NSS Raids on Artsakh Institutions

• Raids on Artsakh offices in Yerevan without detailed public justification
• Timing coinciding with renewed advocacy for Artsakh Armenians’ rights
• Broader concerns about rule of law and political pressure

Armenia’s Economy in 2025

• Sharp decline in trade and reexports with Russia
• Severe underperformance in capital expenditures, including defense, schools, roads, and infrastructure
• Rising state debt exceeding $14 billion
• Weak execution across multiple strategic development programs

Key Questions Discussed

• Can Armenia realistically pursue EU membership while remaining in the EAEU?
• What does the EU expect from Armenia in return for political and electoral support?
• Are sanctions on Russia under serious consideration in Yerevan?
• What constitutional limits exist on government intervention in church affairs?
• Can the rights of displaced Artsakh Armenians be negotiated away?
• Do NSS raids signal a breakdown in rule of law?
• Why are economic failures and rising debt not central to political debate ahead of elections?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Arthur Khachatryan: Structural weaknesses of the opposition and the cult-like dynamics of Pashinyan’s political system.
• Hovik Manucharyan: Reflections on Mikayel Minasyan’s recent Facebook post and its broader political implications.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Pashinyan visit to Germany https://www.primeminister.am/en/foreign-visits/item/2025/12/09/Nikol-Pashinyan-visiting-Germany/

• Announcement of Pashinyan’s Russia visit https://www.primeminister.am/en/press-release/item/2025/12/11/Anons/

• Pashinyan on EU membership and EAEU https://arka.am/en/news/politics/leaving-eaeu-is-not-armenia-s-goal-but-eu-membership-is-prime-minister/

• EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting (Dec 15, 2025) https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/fac/2025/12/15/

• Latvian MFA page referenced regarding Armenia elections https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/article/eu-foreign-affairs-council-focus-future-eu-support-ukraine-situation-middle-east-and-eu-china-relations

• Armen Ashotyan Facebook post https://www.facebook.com/armen.ashotyan/posts/pfbid0AZVD4fcLcJ27QL1ygdAW11oTM2TwyfTAHEjr3yN7dbZi1wxZJvJBCNqrDGyzQTo8l

• Russian Deputy PM Overchuk on Armenia trade and EAEU https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33620923.html

• Pashinyan church reform roadmap https://armenpress.am/en/article/1237044

• Pashinyan on dropping Artsakh return and “Western Azerbaijan” narratives https://armenpress.am/en/article/1237319

• NSS raids on Artsakh offices https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33620644.html

• Luys Foundation report on Armenia’s economy (Jan–Oct 2025) https://luys.am/img/artpic/small/d0705cd1318a1601e30c04-%D5%8A%D5%A5%D5%BF%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6-%D5%A2%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%BB%D5%A5%D5%AB-2025%D5%A9%E2%80%A4-%D5%AB%D5%B6%D5%B6-%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%AB%D5%BD%D5%B6%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%AB-%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%BF%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%B8%D5%B2%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6.pdf

• Mikayel Minasyan Facebook post https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17xi4Jp7GL/

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.

Topics Covered

• Harry Istepanian’s background and expertise in global energy markets
• Venezuela’s oil reserves and the collapse of production after sanctions
• The role of US sanctions, expelled oil companies, and low US strategic reserves
• Washington’s pressure campaign on Venezuela and regional reactions
• Trump’s push for oil prices below 50 dollars per barrel
• OPEC+ price discipline and the threat of Venezuelan supply returning
• The impact of cheaper oil on Russia’s war budget in Ukraine
• Consequences for Iran, Iraq, and Gulf state economies
• Risks of escalation in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz

Key Questions Discussed

• Why did Venezuela’s oil production collapse so sharply over the past decade?
• How low is the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and why does it matter now?
• Why does Trump see Venezuelan oil as a strategic problem rather than a commercial one?
• What prevents US oil companies from returning to Venezuela quickly?
• How would a surge in Venezuelan oil challenge OPEC+ and global price controls?
• What happens to Russia’s economy and war financing if oil prices fall sharply?
• How would Iran and Gulf states respond to sustained price pressure?
• Could new Venezuelan supply change the balance in global conflicts?
• What Middle East risks could still override a rise in oil supply?

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

This Week in Review with Benyamin Poghosyan looks at Pashinyan’s escalating confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church, including the arrest of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan on a narcotics “distribution” charge rooted in a 2018 incident, and the security services’ seizure of Gyumri’s Seven Wounds Church to stage a December 7 Divine Liturgy without mentioning the Catholicos. We discuss what these moves reveal about the regime’s goals toward Etchmiadzin, while polls show strong public support for both the Church and the Armed Forces. We also examine the new Armenia-EU “Strategic Agenda,” calls for Yerevan to join anti-Russia sanctions, EU funding against “Russian hybrid war,” Pashinyan’s selective publication of OSCE Minsk Group documents, and fresh polling on where Armenians see their main strategic partners and the Russian base in Gyumri.

Main Topics Addressed

• Arrest of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan on narcotics “distribution” charges tied to a 2018 “New Armenia, New Catholicos” break-in at Echmiadzin
• Role of the NSS, Investigative Committee, and loyal judges in turning the case into a political tool against the Church
• Seizure of Gyumri’s Seven Wounds Church for Pashinyan’s December 7 liturgy and pressure on Shirak clergy to omit the Catholicos’s name
• Broader pattern of Pashinyan’s attacks on the Church, including threats to “dethrone” the Catholicos and politicize symbols and rituals
• EU-Armenia “Strategic Agenda,” Kaja Kallas’s push for Armenia to align with EU sanctions on Russia, and new EU funding to fight “Russian hybrid war”
• Pashinyan’s selective “release” of OSCE Minsk Group and Karabakh negotiation documents after the MG’s dissolution
• Arar Foundation polling on trust in the government, Church, Armed Forces, police, and parliament, including demographic patterns
• Poll findings on preferred strategic partners (Russia, US, Iran, EU, Turkey) and attitudes toward the Russian base in Gyumri

Key Questions Discussed

• How does a years-old allegation linked to a 2018 protest at Echmiadzin get turned into a charge of narcotics distribution against Archbishop Arshak?
• If case assignment is meant to be random, why do so many high-profile and political cases land before the same judge?
• What does the use of pretrial detention against senior clergy tell us about the state of justice and due process in Armenia?
• Why is the NSS pressuring clergy over the content of the Divine Liturgy, and why is there so little international reaction to this level of state interference?
• What is Pashinyan’s endgame in his campaign against the Armenian Church, especially when polls show it is one of the most trusted institutions in the country?
• What does the EU really expect from Armenia on sanctions and “Russian hybrid war,” and how realistic is it for Armenia to comply?
• What is the political purpose behind publishing a narrow, selective set of OSCE MG documents while omitting key items like Key West?
• How should we interpret the rise in pro-Russia sentiment in the polls and the strong support for the Russian base in Gyumri?

Select Slides From Arar Poll

The results of a poll by the Arar Foundation were released last month.

Methodology

• Mode: Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) using tablets.
• Sampling: “Randomly generated” Armenian mobile phone numbers, with proportional coverage of the mobile network.
• Sample size: N = 1123 adults in Armenia.
• Fieldwork period: 5 Oct - 25 Oct 2025.
• Claimed margin of error: ±2.92% at 95% confidence.
• Honesty level: “Անկեղծության մակարդակը - 99.6% (ըստ հարցազրուցավարների գնահատականի)” - interviewer evaluated.

Satisfaction Levels With Institutions

1. National Assembly
   1. Low: 50.0%
   2. Medium: 24.4%
   3. High: 25.2%
   4. DK/Refuse: 0.3%
2. Armed Forces 5. Low: 14.3% 6. Medium: 18.1% 7. High: 66.4% 8. DK/Refuse: 1.2%
3. Police 9. Low: 23.2% 10. Medium: 21.1% 11. High: 54.6% 12. DK/Refuse: 1.0%
4. Government 13. Low: 39% 14. Medium: 20.5% 15. High: 39.5% 16. DK/Refuse: 0.4%
5. Armenian Apostolic Church 17. Low: 19.1% 18. Medium: 16.8% 19. High: 62.5% 20. DK/Refuse: 1.5%

Demographic Details

Strategic Partnership and Russian Base

One of the questions asked, from the following 5 powers (US, EU, Turkey, Russia or Iran), with which should Armenia form a military-strategic alliance. The top response, with 37.8%, was Russia. This rating, according to the pollster, has been gradually rising since July 2024, when it was at 24.3%. The second runner up was the US with 18.3% and the third was Iran with 17.5%.

The EU was 15.9% and Turkey was 5.4%.

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: The 2026 parliamentary elections will be neither free nor fair.
• Benyamin: In our direst moments, we have turned to our history and found the will to stand up and win.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Statement by Shirak Diocese clergy pledging loyalty to the Catholicos
• Strategic Agenda for the Armenia-EU Partnership
• Kaja Kallas remarks on the EU-Armenia partnership and Russia sanctions
• Armenian Government page: Karabakh Negotiation Documents
• Arar Foundation poll on attitudes toward Armenian institutions
• Arar Foundation official website

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

In this Week in Review, we talk with Dr. Arthur Khachikyan about the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ankara and Baku’s new preconditions, the rush toward a new Armenian constitution, the deepening campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the opaque border talks in Baku. We also respond to Jacob Pursley’s comments on our earlier coverage of Armenia’s “prayer breakfast” and examine how this ties into Pashinyan’s image-building efforts abroad.

Main Topics Addressed

• OSCE Minsk Group dissolved on December 1
• Libaridian’s call for Armenia to accept defeat and engage neighbors directly
• Turkey’s demands, including constitutional changes and the so-called Zangezur Corridor
• Pashinyan’s plan to produce a new constitution by March 2026
• Crisis in the Armenian Church, leaked videos, and the revolt of 13 archbishops
• Statements from prison by Archbishops Ajapahyan and Galstanyan
• Border Commissions meeting in Baku with no transparency
• Responding to Jacob Pursley’s comments on Episode 490

Key Questions Discussed

• What does the dissolution of the Minsk Group mean for Artsakh’s cause internationally?
• How should Armenians approach Libaridian’s insinuation that Russia is a “distant power,” even as he promotes reliance on Western states that are farther away, but who will shape policy toward Armenia through Turkey?
• Why is the government rushing to draft a new constitution by March 2026?
• What lies behind the sudden internal revolt within the Armenian Church?
• Who benefits from the leaked Archbishop Arshak videos?
• Why are border negotiations happening without maps and without public oversight?
• How does the government’s outreach to Western Christian groups fit with its crackdown on the Church?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Hakan Fidan interview on Armenia–Turkey normalization
  https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33595842.html

• Education is Fashionable – My Step / Anna Hakobyan initiative
  https://mycharity.am/educationisfashionable

• Previous Groong Episode 493 (linked in outline header)
  https://podcasts.groong.org/493

• Previous Groong Episode 490 with Joel Veldkamp (Prayer Breakfast context)
  https://podcasts.groong.org/490

A response to @jacobpursley1800

We address a comment from a user “@jacobpursley1800”, responding to our Episode 490 with Joel Veldkamp, of the Christian Solidarity International, about Armenia’s national prayer breakfast.

Comment screenshot:

Pursley says the event was not organized by the Armenian government, the Prime Minister did not host it, and that our take was not “fact based.”

While the main topic of our show was the persecution of the Armenian Apostolic Church and its clergy, which the commenter completely sidestepped, we would like to address the matter of whether this event was truly organized by an independent “civil society” without any help from the government.

1. Who was the prayer breakfast organized by?

There were other co-organizers, but the main coordinator of the event is Stepan Sargsyan from the “Individual Believers Club” as the commenter also indicates.

2. Who is Stepan Sargsyan?

Stepan Sargsyan is listed as a “member of the central committee of the ‘Education is Fashionable’ movement and project manager”.

3. Education is Fashionable is a program under the aegis of My Step Foundation which is an ‘NGO’ founded by Nikol Pashinyan’s partner, Anna Hakobyan and affiliated with Civil Contract.

• Chair of the Board of Trustees is Lena Nazaryan, a member of the Civil Contract party.
• Executive Director is Anna Hakobyan, Nikol Pashinyan’s partner.

4. According to media, Education is Fashionable is also funded by the state budget and the amount of funding is concealed as a ‘state secret’

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We discuss rising global tensions following Israel’s war on Iran, Azerbaijan’s expanding geopolitical ambitions, Europe’s unclear foreign policy, and the risks Armenia faces while trying to reposition itself in a turbulent neighborhood.

Topics Covered

• Breaking developments around Venezuela and U.S. military signaling
• The potential for a renewed Iran–Israel conflict
• Azerbaijan’s Middle East strategy and ties with Israel
• Europe’s fragmented and reactive geopolitical posture
• Armenia’s uncertain turn toward Europe amid regional instability

Key Questions Discussed

• What does Washington’s move on Venezuelan airspace signal?
• How likely is a new Iran war, and what did the June fighting reveal?
• How does Azerbaijan’s partnership with Israel shape Iran’s threat perception?
• What role might Turkey or Azerbaijan play in a worst-case scenario inside Iran?
• What is Baku trying to achieve in the Middle East?
• Why is Europe resistant to diplomatic off-ramps in Ukraine?
• Can Europe act as an independent geopolitical force?
• What can Europe realistically offer Armenia in security terms?
• What posture should Armenia adopt amid rising regional risks?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Armenia’s Self-Defeating Path https://www.theamericanconservative.com/armenia-treads-a-self-defeating-path/

• Azerbaijan in the Middle East (Le Monde Diplomatique) https://mondediplo.com/outsidein/azerbaijan-middle-east

• Westerners Rushing to Defend Azerbaijan Against Russia https://braveneweurope.com/eldar-mamedov-westerners-foolishly-rush-to-defend-azerbaijan-against-russia

• Aravot Interview / Commentary https://en.aravot.am/2025/08/10/361837

• Is European Lobbying of Trump a Sign of Strength or Weakness? https://quincyinst.org/2025/08/20/is-european-lobbying-of-trump-a-sign-of-strength-or-weakness/

• The U.S. and Russia Come Together on Syria https://quincyinst.org/2025/03/11/the-u-s-and-russia-come-together-on-syria/

• Interview in The European Conservative https://europeanconservative.com/articles/interviews/europes-getting-sidelined-and-its-got-itself-to-blame-policy-expert-eldar-mamedov

• Reuters on Venezuelan Airspace Closure https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-says-airspace-above-surrounding-venezuela-be-closed-its-entirety-2025-11-29/

• The Intercept on U.S. Caribbean Buildup https://theintercept.com/2025/11/25/trump-caribbean-venezuela-military-troops/

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

This episode looks at Trump’s foreign policy ten months into his term. We discuss the widening gap between the America First promise and the reality of new foreign fronts, including Venezuela, Ukraine, Gaza, and the TRIPP project in Armenia. Matt Hoh joins us to explain how these issues connect and what they reveal about Washington’s strategic direction.

Main Topics Addressed

• Trump’s move to shut down Venezuelan airspace and the risk of escalation
• The shift in the Ukraine war and the gap between battlefield reality and media coverage
• The Gaza ceasefire, Trump’s 20-point plan, and the growing divide inside the America First base
• The TRIPP route in Armenia and the long-term strategic cost for the region
• How these foreign engagements challenge the core idea of America First

Key Questions Discussed

• Why is Washington pushing toward confrontation with Venezuela, and what strategy is behind it?
• Why is there a major disconnect between official warnings on the Ukraine war and what appears in mainstream coverage?
• What is Trump’s actual goal in Gaza, and do these actions serve any defined U.S. national interest?
• Why is the America First movement splitting over foreign involvement?
• Does the TRIPP deal align with America First, and is the U.S. prepared for a 50 or 100-year commitment in the South Caucasus?
• Does Armenia matter to Washington beyond its value in pressuring Russia and Iran?

Referenced Articles & Sources

Venezuela

• Trump announces closure of Venezuelan airspace (Reuters): https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-says-airspace-above-surrounding-venezuela-be-closed-its-entirety-2025-11-29/
• The Intercept on U.S. logistics planning for a Caribbean buildup: https://theintercept.com/2025/11/25/trump-caribbean-venezuela-military-troops/

Ukraine War – Progress in the War

• NBC News on Dan Driscoll’s warning of “imminent defeat”: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/us-army-secretary-warned-ukraine-imminent-defeat-pushing-initial-peace-rcna245704

Ukraine War – Negotiations

• Putin reiterates territorial demands (Sonar21): https://sonar21.com/president-putin-reiterates-june-14-2024-conditions-for-ending-the-war-with-ukraine/
• Yermak rules out concessions (The Atlantic): https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2025/11/ukraine-zelensky-russia-trump-peace-land-red-line/685090/

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Summary

This episode of Conversations on Groong examines Armenia’s national “prayer breakfast” and the deepening repression against the Armenian Apostolic Church. Our guest, Joel Veldkamp of Christian Solidarity International (CSI), discusses his recent visit to Armenia, the arrests of clergy, the targeting of Church leadership, and the near-total silence from Western governments and many Christian groups. We explore why CSI is sounding the alarm, what is happening behind the government’s PR messaging, and what these developments mean for Armenia’s identity and future.

Main Topics Addressed

• Clergy arrests in Armenia
• Pressure on the Armenian Apostolic Church
• Prayer breakfast controversy
• Western and Christian-group silence
• CSI’s findings during its visit to Yerevan

Key Questions Discussed

• What is CSI’s history of work with Armenians since the 1990s?
• How did the blockade of Artsakh shape CSI’s global human-rights mission?
• What did CSI observe during its November visit to Armenia?
• Why does Joel Veldkamp view the campaign against the Church as systematic and state-led?
• What are the long-term consequences for Armenian identity if the Church is sidelined?
• Who are the jailed clergy, and what are the accusations?
• Why did Armenia’s Ministry of Justice block CSI from visiting detainees?
• Why are some Christian groups in the US silent or supportive of the current government?
• How does US geopolitical strategy shape Washington’s silence?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• National Prayer Breakfast coverage: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33592035.html

• Christian Solidarity International (about): https://csi-usa.org/about-us/

• Horizon interview with Dr. John Eibner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OEFM9n3Zk4

• CSI visit to Yerevan (Asbarez): https://asbarez.com/christian-solidarity-international-sounds-alarm-over-deteriorating-religious-freedom-human-rights-in-armenia/

• Veldkamp briefing in Washington, DC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR8cLPdYWKk

• US National Prayer Breakfast background: https://www.opb.org/article/2023/02/02/congress-takes-reins-of-prayer-breakfast-from-secretive-christian-evangelical-group/

• CSI social posts and documentation: https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/1990450486307135876 https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/1990325276178293071 https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/1989734297746526618 https://x.com/CSI_humanrights/status/1989221412922433930

• Catholic News Agency report: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/267997/human-rights-advocates-decry-armenian-government-crackdown-on-christian-church

• CSI statement on Capitol Hill: https://www.csi-int.org/news/csi-warns-of-religious-repression-in-armenia-on-capitol-hill/

• MEMRI report: https://www.memri.org/reports/fratricide-armenian-church-hands-armenian-regime

• Pashinyan government lobbying in the US (California Courier): https://www.thecaliforniacourier.com/armenia-pays-u-s-public-relations-firm-to-attack-the-armenian-apostolic-church

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Azerbaijan’s war crimes and continued impunity
• Sham trials of Artsakh’s elected leaders
• OSCE inaction and Western political silence
• Armenia’s growing political repression
• Government pressure on the Armenian Apostolic Church

Key Questions Discussed

• Who participates in the OSCE Human Dimension Conference, and what is expected from it?
• Was Armenia present or active at the conference?
• What dangers does “selective justice” pose for the credibility of institutions like the OSCE?
• How did delegates react to discussions about sham trials and ethnically cleansed Artsakh Armenians?
• How do Western officials justify equal treatment of Aliyev’s regime and Armenia?
• Is there any realistic path toward Western accountability for Azerbaijan’s abuses?
• What remains of democracy in Armenia amid political detentions and attacks on the Church?
• Why is the West silent while Armenia’s government mirrors authoritarian tactics?
• What are ANCA’s priorities regarding persecution of the Church?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• OSCE Human Rights Event (ARF website): https://www.arfd.am/new/news/82989/

• Interview with Dr. John Eibner (Asbarez): https://asbarez.com/watch-christian-solidarity-international-president-vows-to-continue-fighting-for-artsakh-and-its-people/

• Garen Jinbachian’s interview with CSI on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVzbvChxga4

• ANC PR on OSCE Human Dimensions (Armenian): https://ancnews.info/?p=24029

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

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

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

This conversation with opposition leader Hayk Mamijanyan covers the growing pressure on free speech in Armenia, the arrests of prominent podcasters, the wider pattern of attacks on journalists, and concerns about the state of Armenia’s judiciary and law enforcement. We also discuss the Vagharshapat municipal election, reported misuse of administrative resources, the merger of electoral districts, and what these trends may signal for the June 2026 parliamentary elections. Mamijanyan outlines the opposition’s strategy for the impeachment process and its limits, while noting the silence of international actors and the risks facing independent media.

Main Topics Addressed

• Arrests of the Imnemnimi podcast hosts and the NSS raid
• Attacks against 168.am and journalist Satik Seyranyan
• Etchmiadzin podcaster arrest days before municipal elections
• Vagharshapat municipal election results and irregularities
• Use of administrative pressure and district enlargement
• State of the judiciary and case assignments
• The impeachment campaign and political strategy for 2026
• Risks to media freedom and silence of international institutions

Key Questions Discussed

• Why were Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan arrested, and why was the NSS involved?
• What does the seizure of media equipment suggest about the intent of authorities?
• How are fake accounts and AI-generated harassment being used against journalists such as Satik Seyranyan?
• Is the case-assignment system in Armenian courts being manipulated?
• Why do attacks on opposition figures trigger immediate arrests, while attacks on government critics go uninvestigated?
• What irregularities were reported in the Vagharshapat/Etchmiadzin municipal elections?
• Does the district enlargement amount to gerrymandering ahead of 2026?
• Why were parliamentary opposition parties absent from the ballot?
• What are the realistic prospects of impeachment, and what public pressure is needed?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• 168.am homepage
• AntiFake.am website
• AntiFake YouTube Channel
• Azatutyun: Opposition podcasters detained
• OC Media: Armenian opposition podcast hosts detained
• Panorama.am: Equipment seizure
• Etchmiadzin podcaster incident
• Pastinfo: Election reporting
• Karina Karapetyan post (X/Twitter)
• CEC election data
• Aravot coverage of election outcomes

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We spoke with Dr. Sergei Melkonian about the shifting fronts in the Ukraine war, Russia’s winter strategy, and how these dynamics tie into Trump’s post-Alaska summit ceasefire diplomacy. We also discussed the rising risk of an Iran–Israel war, Iran’s view of the TRIPP (Trump Route) corridor in Armenia, and the strategic opening the U.S. is making in Central Asia with the C5+1 summit. Finally, we reviewed the Vagharshapat municipal election, reports of administrative resource abuse, the role of state-affiliated NGOs, and what this vote may or may not signal for Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary elections.

Main Topics Addressed

• Ukraine war developments and Russia’s strategic posture
• Regional escalation risks in the Iran–Israel arena
• Armenia’s exposure if a wider regional war erupts
• TRIPP corridor and Iran’s security concerns
• U.S. expansion into Central Asia via C5+1
• Turkey’s influence through the Organization of Turkic States
• Vagharshapat municipal election results and administrative resource issues
• Early signals for Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary elections

Key Questions Discussed

• What is the current trajectory of the Ukraine war, and why is Russia rejecting a temporary ceasefire?
• What lessons does Putin believe he learned from Armenia’s 1994 ceasefire?
• If Iran–Israel war breaks out, what should Armenia prepare for?
• How does Iran’s security apparatus view the TRIPP corridor?
• What does Moscow think of the C5+1 summit and U.S. entry into Central Asia?
• Why has Turkey’s military cooperation with Turkic states become a concern in Moscow?
• Do the Vagharshapat results predict anything for the 2026 parliamentary elections?
• Why did the major opposition blocs avoid the Vagharshapat ballot?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Sergei Melkonian: Armenia must keep the POW issue and the destruction of Armenian heritage in Artsakh in constant focus, regardless of the government’s avoidance of the topic.
• Hovik Manucharyan: Media repression is intensifying, from arrests of journalists to harassment of outlets. International journalists should cover these developments.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Trump’s C5+1 Gamble: Can America Reclaim Central Asia?
• Central Asia and U.S. Reaffirm Commitment to Economic Cooperation
• Critical minerals – Geopolitical Monitor tag
• Russia–Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership & NPP Financing
• Kazakhstan–Russia Strategic Partnership Declaration
• China’s Xi signs treaty to elevate ties with Central Asia

Vagharshapat Municipal Election

• Pastinfo election report
• CEC official results
• Aravot election summary
• Precinct-level note

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

In this Conversations on Groong episode, Dr. Arthur Khachikyan discusses the rapid erosion of free expression in Armenia after the arrest of Imnemnimi podcasters Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan. The conversation traces how a personal insult case against Speaker Alen Simonyan turned into an NSS raid on the AntiFake / Imnemnimi studio, pretrial detention for four staff, and the seizure of all production equipment. Khachikyan places this case in a wider pattern of pressure on journalists, lawyers, priests, and political scientists, and stresses how Western silence and double standards enable this crackdown. The episode ends with a call to Armenian and international audiences to use what remains of their freedom to expose this campaign and defend what is left of Armenia’s democracy.

Main Topics Addressed

• Arrest and pretrial detention of Imnemnimi hosts Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan, and the NSS raid on their studio.
• Confiscation of all production equipment from AntiFake / Imnemnimi, including cameras, lights, microphones, and computers.
• Use of “hooliganism” charges as a new tool to punish political speech after earlier insult and hate speech bills met resistance.
• A wider system of intimidation against journalists, lawyers, priests, and political scientists who criticize the authorities.
• The collapse of political culture in Armenia, including public spitting incidents and coarse language at the highest levels of power.
• Western double standards on human rights, comparing reactions to Kosovo, Gaza, and Syria with silence on the ethnic cleansing of Armenians.
• The role of Western governments, embassies, and NGOs in enabling Armenia’s leadership through selective concern and inaction.
• A call for independent media, diaspora communities, and listeners to expose the Imnemnimi case and the broader campaign against free speech.

Key Questions Discussed

• How did a verbal clash with the Speaker of Parliament lead to a national security raid, mass equipment seizure, and pretrial detention for podcasters?
• What does the seizure of cameras, microphones, computers, and even tripods say about the state’s real goals toward independent media?
• In what ways has the “hooliganism” article become a replacement for insult and hate speech laws that failed to pass?
• How does the treatment of Imnemnimi fit into a wider pattern of arrests and pressure against lawyers, priests, and political opponents?
• Why are Western embassies and human rights organizations silent when Armenian authorities use methods that would not be accepted in their own countries?
• What do comparisons with Kosovo, Gaza, Syria, and the 2018 “Velvet Revolution” reveal about Western interests and double standards?
• What can independent journalists, diaspora Armenians, and ordinary listeners do to bring attention to this crackdown and defend what remains of Armenia’s democracy?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Azatutyun report on the arrests of Imnemnimi / AntiFake podcasters and studio raid
• Imnemnimi / AntiFake episode with former president Serge Sargsyan (YouTube)
• AntiFake.am website
• AntiFake YouTube channel
• “Armenian opposition podcast hosts detained after criminal complaint by parliamentary speaker” – OC Media
• “Armenian expert condemns seizure of opposition media equipment” – Panorama.am

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Five years after the 44-Day War, we take stock of what changed and what did not. Arthur Martirosyan reviews lessons Armenia still has not learned, then looks at the Ukraine war’s likely path and the risks of an Iran-Israel escalation for Armenia. We discuss key claims from Serge Sargsyan’s long interview on the Imnemnimi Podcast and Robert Kocharyan’s interviewon Channel 5, including alleged missed ceasefire windows, and we cover Narek Karapetyan’s appearance on Tucker Carlson about church persecution and Armenia’s drift toward rule by law.

Main Topics Addressed

• Nov. 9 milestone, five years since the 44-Day War
• Ukraine war outlook and likely trajectory
• Iran-Israel tensions and implications for Armenia, including potential spillovers
• Highlights from Serge Sargsyan’s long interview on the Imnemnimi Podcast
• Highlights from Robert Kocharyan’s interview, including alleged rejected ceasefire offers and battlefield losses
• Narek Karapetyan on Tucker Carlson, audience reach and impact

Key Questions Discussed

• What lessons did Armenia fail to internalize after the 44-Day War, and with what consequences today
• Where is the Ukraine war headed, and what drives the most probable scenario
• How could an Iran-Israel escalation affect Armenia’s security and economy
• How to assess Sargsyan’s claims about OSCE proposals, EU roles, and steps that “triggered” the war
• Were viable ceasefire offers rejected on Oct. 17–19, and what were the human costs
• Who was the real audience for the Tucker segment, and what impact did it have

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Serge Sargsyan’s long interview on the Imnemnimi Podcast (YouTube)
• Armenpress coverage of Sargsyan interview
• Robert Kocharyan interview on Channel 5 (YouTube)
• 168.am coverage, Nov. 8, 2025
• 168.am coverage, Nov. 9, 2025
• Tucker Carlson clip with Narek Karapetyan and Robert Amsterdam (YouTube)

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

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

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We spoke with MP Arthur Khachatryan about three fronts shaping Armenia’s near term, Euronest politics and what EU rhetoric vs. executive policy means for Yerevan, Aliyev’s transit announcement and the TRIPP push, and a deepening domestic clampdown that now targets the Armenian Church and elected local officials. We also covered the Gyumri mayor’s detention and new “Article 422” speech charges, how these moves feed into the 2026 elections, and why real de-blocking requires practical, two-way access rather than headlines.

Main Topics Addressed

• Euronest session in Yerevan, EU politics vs. practice
• Aliyev’s “transit” move, TRIPP, and real de-blocking tests
• Crackdown on the Armenian Church and use of a defrocked priest
• Gyumri mayor’s arrest, Article 422, and due process concerns
• 2026 elections landscape, opposition strategies, and civic mood

Key Questions Discussed

• What did Armenia gain from hosting Euronest, and what did EU legislators signal versus EU executives?
• Does Aliyev’s announcement change border reality for Armenian goods and travelers, or is it a one-off?
• What would genuine de-blocking look like for rail and road, including Ijevan–Ghazakh and Sadarak–Yeraskh gaps?
• Who benefits from a weakened Armenian Church, and how far can state interference go under the Constitution?
• How do the Gyumri detentions and Article 422 affect local governance and national quorum math ahead of 2026?
• Can opposition parties and emerging movements translate discontent into a coherent 2026 strategy?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: Armenia has become a surveillance state. The scope needed to film and hold kompromat suggests far greater capacity than is publicly acknowledged, which clashes with EU praise.
• Arthur Khachatryan: Pashinyan’s budget address reframed the army from “combat-ready” to “defense-capable,” which signals externally imposed limits and invites new demands. It is a troubling shift for deterrence and doctrine, and indicates capitulation.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Aliyev lifts ban on goods transit to Armenia while touting Zangezur Corridor
• Pashinyan eager to open Armenia’s roads for transit between Turkey and Azerbaijan
• Azerbaijan removes all restrictions on transit of goods to Armenia
• Armenpress coverage related to transit and access

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Summary

Dr. Pietro Shakarian explains the core arguments and new archival findings behind his book on Anastas Mikoyan. We cover Mikoyan’s effort to devolve power inside the USSR during Khrushchev’s constitutional reform drive, what a confederal model could have meant, and why it stalled. We discuss Mikoyan’s role in Armenia’s cultural thaw, including rehabilitations tied to his 1954 Yerevan speech. Shakarian details his research trail across Russian and Armenian archives, 1960s Artsakh petitions, Mikoyan’s stance toward the Armenian Church, and how his Armenian identity surfaced during Cold War crises.

Main Topics Addressed

• Mikoyan’s confederation idea under Khrushchev’s reforms
• De-Stalinization in Armenia and 1954 Yerevan speech
• Research path across Moscow and Yerevan archives
• Artsakh petitions and 1960s activism
• Mikoyan’s view of the Armenian Church

Key Questions Discussed

• How far did Khrushchev’s reforms move the USSR toward a confederation, and why did it fail in practice
• What “radical devolution of powers” would mean for union and republic relations
• Which Armenian writers and officials were affected by post-Stalin rehabilitations
• What new evidence from Moscow and Yerevan archives changes prior scholarship
• How Mikoyan’s Armenian identity and stance toward the Church shaped decisions and relationships

Referenced Articles and Sources

• Anastas Mikoyan, an Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev’s Kremlin – Amazon
• Prior Groong episode with Pietro Shakarian (Episode 28)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We spoke with Ambassador Dziunik Aghajanian about three linked fronts that shape Armenia’s risk picture today: the Ukraine war and a possible Trump–Putin meeting in Budapest, the Gaza ceasefire push and the roles of Qatar and Turkey, and widening political prosecutions in Armenia, including arrests of senior clergy and opposition figures. We also looked at the risk of strikes on Iran, why nearby corridors matter for Tehran’s calculus, and how these external pressures feed back into Armenia’s domestic scene. The conversation focused on the week ending October 19, 2025.

Main Topics Addressed

• Ukraine war inflection points and outcomes
• Budapest meeting optics and Orban’s role
• Gaza ceasefire mechanics and mediators
• Risks and triggers for strikes on Iran
• Corridors and Iran’s view of Armenia
• Arrests of clergy and opposition in Armenia

Key Questions Discussed

• What would Washington consider success in Ukraine, and how would that shape Russia’s posture in the South Caucasus?
• If Trump and Putin meet in Budapest, what signals should Armenia watch for before and after the meeting?
• Is the Gaza ceasefire a pause or a bridge to a broader deal, and how central are Qatar and Turkey in that process?
• How real is near-term escalation against Iran, and what indicators would precede it?
• What goals drive the arrests of clergy, lawyers, and mayors in Armenia, and what does this say about rule of law?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Dziunik: Sharm el-Sheikh was optics, not substance. The core struggle is over Armenian identity, not a narrow Armenia–Azerbaijan frame.
• Hovik: The Armenian Church is integral to identity, and attempts to reshape it will not succeed.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Washington Post, on reported Russia–Ukraine terms and Trump–Putin context:
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/18/putin-trump-donetsk-war-ukraine/
• Responsible Statecraft, on risk of new Israel strikes on Iran:
  https://responsiblestatecraft.org/israel-new-attacks-iran/
• Reuters, on efforts to bring Azerbaijan and Central Asian states into the Abraham Accords:
  https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-eyes-bringing-azerbaijan-central-asian-nations-into-abraham-accords-2025-08-01/
• Azatutyun, on church and opposition-related arrests:
  https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33559754.html
  https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33561617.html
  https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33560730.html
  https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33561736.html
  https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33562765.html
  https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33562833.html
• International Commission of Jurists, on detention of defense lawyer Alexander Kochubayev:
  https://www.icj.org/armenia-icj-condemns-detention-of-defence-lawyer-alexander-kochubaev-and-calls-for-his-immediate-release/
• Pastinfo item referenced in discussion (see outline for specific link):
  https://pastinfo.am/

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

This episode covers Armenia’s growing geopolitical balancing act as regional and domestic politics intensify ahead of the 2026 elections. Hrant Mikaelian joins to analyze Pashinyan’s “Trump Route” pitch at the CIS summit, Aliyev’s renewed push for the Zangezur Corridor, and Russia’s diplomatic recalibration after the AZAL crash. The discussion then turns to Armenia’s changing political landscape, including Samvel Karapetyan’s In Our Way movement, Arman Tatoyan’s Wings of Unity, and Robert Kocharyan’s proposal for a more sovereign, multi-route strategy to connect Armenia with its neighbors.

Main Topics Addressed

• CIS Summit in Dushanbe – Pashinyan’s pitch of the “Trump Route” (TRIPP) and its reception among CIS leaders.
• Putin–Aliyev Meeting – Russia’s renewed apology over the AZAL crash and a cautious thaw in relations.
• OTS Summit in Gabbala – Aliyev’s aggressive promotion of the “Zangezur Corridor” within the Pan-Turkic framework.
• Armenia’s Domestic Politics –
  • Samvel Karapetyan’s In Our Way movement and Daron Acemoglu’s appearance at its rally.
  • The entry of Arman Tatoyan’s Wings of Unity initiative.
  • Robert Kocharyan’s press conference outlining an alternative to the TRIPP corridor and major economic projects.

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: A satirical “rant” comparing the short TRIPP (42 km) to the longer Yeraskh–Julfa line (120 km), highlighting Armenia’s need for sovereignty and reciprocity in any transport project.
• Hrant: Warned that Turkey and Azerbaijan may later push the U.S. out of the TRIPP framework and urged Washington to understand the deeper regional interests at play.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• RFE/RL: Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine – Putin’s Apology over Plane Crash
• Yahoo News: Azerbaijan Releases Russian Journalist to House Arrest
• OC Media: Ex-Armenian President Kocharyan Announces Parliamentary Bid
• 168.am: Coverage of Kocharyan Press Conference and Political Movements
• Azatutyun.am: Reports on CIS and OTS Summits, Domestic Political Shifts

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

With Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan We cover Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan’s two-year sentence and what it signals in an lethargic Armenia, Moldova’s election and diaspora voting, the EU’s patterns of force ahead of Armenia’s 2026 vote, takeaways from the European Political Community (EPC) in Copenhagen and the Warsaw Security Forum (WSF), the politics of the U.S. PEACE Act, defense shifts including a shortened 18-month military service plan contrasted with acknowledged military serviceman shortage, and the internal fight over the stalled 44-day war report.

Main Topics Addressed

• Ajapahyan sentencing and public apathy
• Moldova vote, access issues, diaspora turnout
• EU posture before Armenia’s 2026 elections
• EPC Copenhagen and WSF Warsaw takeaways
• U.S. PEACE Act and freedom of expression risks
• Reconciling defense budget cuts, shortened military service, and military personnel shortages
• War report standoff in parliament

Key Questions Discussed

• What goal does Ajapahyan’s verdict serve in today’s politics?
• What lessons from Moldova matter for Armenia’s 2026 race?
• How do EU timing and optics shape Armenia’s field?
• Did EPC and Warsaw deliver anything concrete?
• How could the PEACE Act affect speech and politics?
• What trade-offs come with conscription cuts and budget shifts?
• Why is the 44-day war report being held back?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Benyamin: Warns of heightened political turbulence as Armenia approaches the 2026 elections.
• Hovik: Notes that Arman Tatoyan has officially entered Armenian politics and flags what this could mean for the opposition landscape.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Armenian archbishop sentenced to 2 years in prison over alleged coup plot
• Prosecutor General’s Office statement on Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan case
• Daniel Ioannisyan on Ajapahyan speech complaint
• Moldova bars two pro-Russian parties from high-stakes parliamentary election
• How Sandu defeated Putin and what this victory could mean
• Kremlin Claims Moldova Barred Hundreds of Thousands From Voting in Russia
• EPC leaders closing session in Copenhagen (video)
• Pashinian, Aliyev Meet Again
• National Assembly adopts statement on establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan
• Parliament majority drafts declaration endorsing peace deal, calls to avoid aggravating narratives
• ICYMI: Rep. Issa and Rep. Bilirakis Introduce the PEACE Act
• Preventing Escalation and Advancing Caucasus Engagement Act, draft text (PDF)
• Armenian Government Plans Shorter Military Service
• Armenian Official Admits Military Personnel Shortage
• Armenian servicemen return medals in protest against government policies

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We reflect on September 27 and the 44-Day War, tracing how Pashinyan’s 2018 rise set the stage for broken negotiations, secret leader-to-leader contacts, poor defense choices, and a propaganda-laden war that the Armenian government failed to mobilize for. We revisit ceasefire rejections, Russia’s stand-off posture, and the postwar slide into demilitarization, border retreats, and historical revisionism. We close on accountability, the need for a real war commission, and the right of Artsakh’s people to return.

Main Topics Addressed

• Pashinyan’s rise and Western backing
• Breakdown of talks and secret meetings
• Failures and propaganda during the war
• Aftermath, revisionism, and political responsibility

Key Questions Discussed

• Why did Serzh Sargsyan resign rather than confront the 2018 movement?
• Did Pashinyan stall or reset Minsk-Group talks and pursue backchannels with Aliyev?
• How did defense procurement shifts and army restructuring weaken readiness?
• Why was the state not fully mobilized, and why were ceasefires rejected?
• What explains Russia’s limited role and the peacekeeper calculus?
• Can there be dignified peace amid ethnic cleansing, demilitarization, and “memory-holing”?
• What should a genuine, independent war inquiry examine first?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Piotr Świtalski book on Armenia’s 2018 events (PISM): https://pism.pl/upload/images/artykuly/2f97f331-84d8-4f9d-963a-39cb046dd8c1//1599134927962.pdf
• Emil Sanamyan, “Saint Nick of Armenia” (oDR): https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/saint-nick-of-armenia-how-nikol-pashinyan-rescued-armenia-and-made-it-merry/
• Armtimes (background on Pashinyan): https://armtimes.com/hy/article/105002
• News.am on Ararat Mirzoyan informant letter: https://news.am/eng/news/623848.html
• Lurer.am on Rubinyan asset declaration: https://lurer.com/?p=560245&l=am
• Groong tweet thread on backchanneling: https://x.com/groong/status/1920661495043813507
• Jam-News analysis of 2020 war defeat: https://jam-news.net/myths-and-realities-of-armenias-defeat-in-the-second-karabakh-war/
• Yerevan.Today archive note: https://archive.yerevan.today/eterum/karch-asats/134907
• ArmInfo on acquisitions and Su-30s: https://arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=46726&lang=3
• Gagrule (roundup on suspicious deaths): https://gagrule.net/six-officials-who-suspiciously-died-during-pashinyan-reign/
• Armlur report: https://armlur.am/1158250/
• 7or.am interview claim on “earthquake” remark: https://www.7or.am/am/news/view/197328/
• News.am on mobilization gaps: https://news.am/arm/news/906739.html
• Calls for a 2020 war commission, Groong Ep-82: https://podcasts.groong.org/82-calls-for-a-commission-to-analyze-the-defeat-in-the-2020-artsakh-war-ep-82-july-31-2021/

Thoughts from the Participants

• On responsibility: A defeated, capitulating leader cannot negotiate on behalf of the nation.
• On peace: Undignified peace invites future conflict, not stability.
• On Artsakh: Seeking return and justice for Artsakh is a right, not “revanchism.”

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We look at Georgia’s Oct 4 municipal elections, why the races feel lower stakes than parliamentary contests, and why Tbilisi remains the real battleground. Archil outlines Georgian Dream’s strength, the opposition’s fragmentation and boycotts, and how public fatigue shapes turnout. We review Kakha Kaladze’s record in the capital, the debate over sanctions and asset freezes, and what the “foreign agent” law has changed for NGOs. We close with Georgia’s view on TRIPP and a brief Georgia-Armenia comparison.

Main Topics Addressed

• Municipal elections: stakes, turnout, likely outcomes
• Opposition fragmentation and boycotts, limited alliances
• Kaladze’s governance record and delivery in Tbilisi
• Sanctions talk, asset freezes, and “lists” in politics
• One year on: effects of the foreign agent law on NGOs
• Georgia’s view on TRIPP and transit leverage
• Georgia vs Armenia: political cycles and opposition strategy

Key Questions Discussed

• How important are these municipal races, and what would force a runoff in Tbilisi?
• Are opposition alliances meaningful, or does fragmentation decide outcomes?
• How should voters assess Kaladze’s policies and execution in the capital?
• What does a boycott achieve for parties like UNM and Coalition for Change?
• What is the real impact of sanction talk and public “lists” inside Georgia?
• What has the foreign agent law changed for foreign-funded NGOs in practice?
• Would TRIPP weaken Georgia’s transit role, and can it proceed without Iran and Russia?
• What lessons from Georgia’s politics apply to Armenia’s opposition playbook?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• GORBI poll on Georgian Dream support (65.9%)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

We look back at September 19, 2023, when Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh after a nine-month blockade, killing 223 people and forcing Artsakh to disarm, then the exodus of 120,000 Armenians through the Lachin corridor. We discuss how that outcome was shaped by Yerevan’s stance, and what has followed. We examine Civil Contract’s 7th congress and the “Fourth Republic” plan tied to a new constitution after 2026, the EU framing, and the peace narrative. We also cover the opposition’s split strategy ahead of 2026 and the ENA situation, including nationalization versus foreign operator scenarios and what that signals to investors.

Main Topics Addressed

• September 19, 2023, two years on
  Human toll, blockade context, disarmament decision, Yerevan’s position, and lasting effects on Armenia.
• Civil Contract’s 7th Congress and the “Fourth Republic”
  New constitution path after 2026, Alma-Ata framing, EU track, and institutionalizing peace. Fourth Republic. Brand or blueprint?
• Opposition dynamics before 2026
  Impeachment versus election focus, fragmentation, and what might sway undecided voters.
• Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA)
  Government “surgical measures,” nationalization vs top-tier foreign manager, and investor risk signals.

Key Questions Discussed

• What choices in 2023 mattered most for Artsakh’s fate, and what lessons follow for Armenia’s security policy today?
• Is the “Fourth Republic” a governing program or a campaign brand, and what does the Alma-Ata logic change in practice?
• How does an EU-oriented narrative meet on-the-ground security needs, and what would make “peace” durable?
• With the opposition split, what strategy has the best path to move public opinion before 2026?
• For ENA, which scenario better protects consumers, creditworthiness, and long-term investment: nationalization or a credible foreign operator?

Personal Statements

• Arthur Martirosyan: Armenia is already in a pre-election cycle. The “Fourth Republic” pitch looks like a bid to be reelected. It sells peace to the “mothers of Armenia,” downplays the need for a strong army, and leans on promises and paper. In a fast-changing world, that will not protect Armenia from more territorial losses.
• Hosts: Timing matters. Azerbaijan forced Artsakh’s representatives to appear in Yevlakh on September 21, Armenia’s Independence Day. Two years later, on September 21, 2025, Armenia’s NSS chief Andranik Simonyan was in Baku for a three-day “security forum.” The parallel is hard to ignore.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Civil Contract 7th congress and platform:
  • https://armenpress.am/en/article/1230132
  • https://armenpress.am/en/article/1230142
  • https://armenpress.am/en/article/1230149
  • https://armenpress.am/en/article/1230153
  • https://armenpress.am/en/article/1230156
• Context on NSS chief presence in Baku:
  • https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33535086.html

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Armen Ashotyan, vice president of the Republican Party of Armenia, explains the opposition’s plan for a no-confidence path against Pashinyan, how impeachment procedure pairs with street mobilization, and why opposition unity matters ahead of 2026. We also unpack TRIPP, the announced U.S. funding, and the gap between “up to 99 years” language heard in Washington and what appears in the MoUs published by Yerevan. Ashotyan rejects the “Pashinyan or war” binary and says real peace requires security first.

Main Topics Addressed

• Why Pativ Unem issued a statement to initiate a no-confidence process, and how hearings could involve non-parliamentary actors.
• Impeachment math, the 36-signature and 54-vote thresholds, and why public action must complement procedure.
• TRIPP: U.S. funding announcements, “up to 99 years” remarks in Washington, and what is, and is not, in the published MoUs.
• Opposition unity: differences with Hayastan, the role of Samvel Karapetyan’s “Mer Dzevov,” and priorities for coordination.
• Responding to “Pashinyan or war,” readiness under repression, and turning public sentiment into public action.

Key Questions Discussed

• What does the no-confidence statement aim to achieve, and how do hearings broaden participation beyond parliament?
• Given 32 opposition MPs vs the 36-signature threshold, what is the realistic path to place the motion on the agenda and reach 54 votes?
• What are the real commitments behind TRIPP if the MoUs omit “lease” and “99 years,” yet officials cite large funding and long duration?
• Are the differences between Pativ Unem and Hayastan tactical or deeper, and how can the opposition present a united front?
• If removing Pashinyan risks Azeri pressure, how does the opposition think about deterrence, security, and avoiding war while changing course?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• U.S. Plans First Funding For ‘Trump Route’ Through Armenia, Azatutyun, Sep 11, 2025: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33528031.html
• Armenian Opposition Demands Answers On Corridor Deal With U.S., Azatutyun: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33528900.html
• Prime Minister’s Office publishes Armenia-United States memorandums of understanding, Armenpress, Aug 29, 2025: https://armenpress.am/en/article/1228369
• «Պատիվ ունեմ»-ը ներկայացրել է … «անվստահություն հայտնելու մասին» ԱԺ հայտարարության նախագիծը, 168.am, Sep 16, 2025: https://168.am/2025/09/16/2279087.html

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Three years after the Sep 13, 2022 attack that killed 224 Armenian servicemen and left more than 200 sq km under occupation, the show asks why the state mutes remembrance while talking up “peace.” Hayastan Dashinq/ARF MP Arthur Khachatryan joins us to unpack the envoys’ “expedite” language against Ankara’s and Baku’s preconditions and probe TRIPP’s core unknowns, from “unhindered communication” and border checks to who actually gets paid. We then assess the plan to shorten service and cut defense outlays, and close on the slowing economy, rising debt risks, and a policy mix that shifts manpower inward while leaving open questions at the frontier.

Main Topics Addressed

• The third anniversary of the September 13, 2022 war and its ongoing consequences.
• Turkish envoy Serdar Kiliç’s visit to Armenia and “expediting” normalization projects.
• U.S. State Department’s $145M announcement for the TRIPP (Trump Route / Zangezur Corridor).
• Draft bill to shorten mandatory military service and Pashinyan’s decision to cut defense spending.
• Broader government underperformance in project implementation.
• Armenia’s army and police size in 2025.

Key Questions Discussed

• What lessons remain from the September 13 war, and why is it downplayed by the government?
• What is the real purpose behind Serdar Kiliç’s “expediting” language—progress or propaganda?
• What details of the TRIPP are being withheld from the Armenian public, and why?
• Can Armenia afford reduced military service and a shrinking defense budget when all its neighbors are rearming?
• Why are so many government projects underperforming, and where is the accountability?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: Azerbaijan shoots a mentally ill Armenian, Karen Avanesyan, who was left behind in Stepanakert, alleging “anti-terrorist operations.
• Arthur: The tyranny of Nikol Pashinyan’s rule - “I am the government”.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Türkiye Today – Turkish FM links normalization to Aliyev’s peace treaty
• Armenpress – Reports on Kiliç-Rubinyan meetings
• Azatutyun – U.S. State Dept. delegation announces $145M for TRIPP
• Azatutyun – Additional coverage of U.S. delegation visit
• Eurasia Review – Trump confuses Armenia with Albania
• Azatutyun – Draft bill on shorter military service
• Armenpress – Coverage on military service reforms
• Security Cam videos of Karen Avanesyan in Stepanakert

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

This week’s Week in Review with Hrant Mikaelian covers mounting tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and the risk of renewed war, Russia’s muted stance on the TRIPP corridor despite U.S. and Turkish advances, fresh data from the MPG poll on Armenia’s politics and society, and the state of Armenia’s economy at mid-2025, with particular focus on re-exports, debt, and government underperformance.

Main Topics Addressed

• War in Iran: The E3 snapback sanctions, Iran’s possible NPT withdrawal, and risks of a U.S.-Israeli escalation.
• TRIPP Corridor: U.S. and Israeli leverage, Paul Goble’s views, Russia’s puzzling response, Iran’s split stance.
• MPG Poll Findings:
  • Attitudes toward the Aug 8 White House TRIPP agreement.
  • Views on opening a road through Syunik.
  • Whether Washington agreements will bring peace.
  • Constitutional change as a precondition from Azerbaijan.
  • Political prisoners, including Samvel Karapetyan and Bagrat Srbazan.
  • Party standings if elections were held today.
• Armenian Economy H1/2025: Decline in re-exports, slowdown in industry, underperformance of key ministries, rising debt, and growth trends in construction and agriculture.

Key Questions Discussed

• Is the West pushing Iran into a corner, and could this lead to renewed war?
• Could TRIPP serve as a launchpad for U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran?
• Why is Russia muted while Paul Goble and U.S. analysts are exuberant?
• What do the MPG poll results reveal about Armenian public opinion on TRIPP, peace prospects, constitutional change, and political prisoners?
• Does Samvel Karapetyan’s rise in polling numbers suggest a viable opposition force in 2026?
• How sustainable is Armenia’s economy given re-export decline, underperforming ministries, and rising debt?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Al Jazeera – Russia, China slam European nations over Iran snapback sanctions move
• Mehr News – Iran parliament may discuss exit from NPT
• Foreign Policy – Israel-Iran war could come before December
• ReliefWeb – How the Goble Plan was born
• RIA – Overchuk on TRIPP
• Reuters – U.S. secures strategic transit corridor Armenia-Azerbaijan
• Luys Foundation – H1/2025 Armenian Economy report
• 168.am – Digest of Luys report
• Caucasus Watch – Armenia’s mixed economy

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hrant Mikaelian: On Netanyahu’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the controversial renovations at Tsitsernakaberd.
• Asbed: Questioned why Pashinyan refused to request the return of POWs or territory during the August 8 White House meeting.
• Hovik: No additional statement this week.

MPG Poll

Slide 2: Methodology

• Research method: Telephone surveys
• Sample Size: 1101
• Error Margin: ±3%
• Implementation period: August 25, 2025 - August 30, 2025
• Research location: Republic of Armenia

Slide 3: How Do You View the August 8 Meeting in DC?

On August 8, 2025, an agreement was signed in Washington between Azerbaijan, Armenia’s government, and the United States regarding the TRIPP corridor. This agreement provides for certain communications and infrastructure to pass through Armenia and Azerbaijan. What is your attitude towards this agreement, according to the following options?

Results:

• Fully positive – 22.8%
• Somewhat positive – 19.3%
• Somewhat negative – 13.6%
• Fully negative – 34.0%
• Difficult to answer – 7.0%
• Not familiar with the agreement – 3.3%

Overall:

• Positive: 42.1%
• Negative: 47.6%
• Other (DK + not familiar): 10.3%

Slide 4: How Do You View Giving a Road Through Syunik to Azerbaijan

The declaration reaffirmed that Azerbaijan and Armenia are committed to opening communications. These efforts also include ensuring communications between the main part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of Armenia through the Syunik region, with mutual communication opportunities for Armenia. Do you support the opening of such a road through Syunik?

Results:

• Fully support – 17.4%
• Somewhat support – 18.1%
• Somewhat oppose – 11.3%
• Fully oppose – 47.6%
• Difficult to answer – 5.6%

Overall:

• Positive: 35.5%
• Negative: 58.9%
• Other (DK): 5.6%

Slide 5: Will The Agreements In Washington Bring Lasting Peace

Do you agree that the Washington agreements will contribute to long-lasting peace in the region?

Results:

• Fully agree – 15.8%
• Somewhat agree – 22.8%
• Somewhat disagree – 13.5%
• Fully disagree – 41.6%
• Difficult to answer – 6.3%

Overall:

• Positive (agree + somewhat agree) – 38.6%
• Negative (disagree + fully disagree) – 55.1%
• Other (DK): 6.3%

Slide 6: On Changing The Constitution as a Precondition for Signing Peace

According to published information, Azerbaijan has emphasized constitutional changes in Armenia as a condition for signing a peace agreement. Which statement do you support the most?

Results:

• The Constitution of Armenia belongs to the people of Armenia, and no country, including Azerbaijan, has the right to interfere – 58.0%
• This is Azerbaijan’s internal political move and has no importance for Armenia – 25.1%
• I would support changes to Armenia’s Constitution if it helps establish lasting peace and good-neighborly relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan – 12.2%
• Difficult to answer – 4.7%

Slide 7: Political Prisoners in Armenia

Question 1 (left side)

Do you think there are political prisoners in Armenia today?

Results:

• Yes – 62%
• No – 18%
• Difficult to answer – 20%

Question 2 (right side)

If yes, who do you consider to be a political prisoner? (multiple answers possible)

Results:

• Samvel Karapetyan – 71.5%
• Bagrat Srbazan (Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan) – 38.5%
• Mikayel Ajapahyan – 37.8%
• Armen Ashotyan – 9.6%
• Varuzhan Avetisyan – 4.1%
• Artur Sargsyan – 3.3%
• Other – 13.0%

Slide 8: On Arrest of Samvel Karapetyan

Samvel Karapetyan, the founder of the Tashir Group, businessman and philanthropist, spoke out in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church, after which he was arrested shortly after. By court decision, he was detained for 2 months, and on August 15, 2025, the detention was extended for another 2 months. What do you think of this approach by the government?

Results:

• Fully positive – June: 11.7% | August: 12.6%
• Somewhat positive – June: 4.8% | August: 5.9%
• Somewhat negative – June: 19.2% | August: 16.4%
• Fully negative – June: 57.9% | August: 48.0%
• Difficult to answer – June: 6.4% | August: 17.0%

Overall:

• Positive (fully + somewhat) – June: 16.5% | August: 18.5%
• Negative (somewhat + fully) – June: 77.1% | August: 64.4%

Slide 9: On Arrest of Archbishops

Archbishop Michael Ajapahian and Bagrat Srbazan were arrested and detained at the end of June 2025. Then, in August, the court decided to extend their detention. How do you evaluate this decision?

Results:

• Fully positive – 17.3%
• Somewhat positive – 7.7%
• Somewhat negative – 12.6%
• Fully negative – 44.2%
• Difficult to answer – 18.1%

Overall:

• Positive (fully + somewhat) – 25.0%
• Negative (somewhat + fully) – 56.8%

Slide 10: How Would You Vote if Elections Were Held This Coming Sunday

If snap parliamentary elections were held this Sunday, which party or bloc would you vote for?

Results:

• “Civil Contract” Party – 17.3% (+4.2%)
• Samvel Karapetyan’s bloc/new party – 13.4% (+10.6%)
• Armenia Alliance – 6.4%
• “Prosperous Armenia” party – 3.8%
• “I have honor” alliance – 3.4%
• DOK Party – 2.5%
• “Republic” Party – 1.1%
• Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) – 1.1%
• “Bright Armenia” Party – 1.0%
• Meritocratic Party of Armenia – 0.9%
• Armenian National Congress – 0.8%
• “A Country to Live” Party – 0.8%
• National Democratic Alliance (Bever) – 0.8%
• Social Democratic Party – 0.5%
• Other – 1.1%

Non-voters / undecided:

• Will not participate – 23.9%
• Refuse to answer – 16.3%
• Difficult to answer – 5.0%

Armenian Economy H1/2025

The Luys Foundation released its report on the Armenian economy in the first half of 2025. As expected there is some slowdown which may have bottomed out in March or April and since then it has been rebounding. The slowdown is attributed to a 12.1% decrease in the industrial sector, which itself is being blamed on the very significant decrease in the re-export sector, which last year had reached (I think) the $12.4B mark, and as Russian deputy PM Alexei Overchuk has been citing, it’s barely over $6.1B in 2025.

Of significant concern is that many areas of the government’s programs have been underperforming, under-executing their planned projects in 2025.

• Ministry of High-Tech Industry, the underperformance of expenditures is 72.8%
  • This means that they’ve basically done 27% of their projects.
  • They have a mandate for developing the Armenian military-industrial complex
• Urban Development Committee - 58.7%
• Ministry of Environment - 34.3%
• Foreign Intelligence Service - 32.4%
• Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure - 22.8%
• Ministry of Economy - 22.3%
• Ministry of Higher Education and Science - 20.9%.

We can see that a significant number of these areas haven’t even achieved half of what they were supposed to do. The Luys report highlights important programs:

• The Ministry of High-Tech Industry’s “Development Program for the Military-Industrial Complex” has been implemented only 4.7%.
• The Ministry of High-Tech Industry’s “Digital Transformation” program is implemented only 7.4%;
• The Ministry of Economy’s “Agricultural Modernization Program” is implemented only 12.6%.

One odd aspect of this underperformance is that the government has not been spending at the level that it thought it would, so it has a lot of cash lying around, sitting in banks and earning some interest. So now all that money looks like an over-fulfillment of revenues in the state budget, or maybe a lower budget deficit. Exactly the opposite of what the government predicted would happen.

Despite all of these issues, the economy seems to be on the rebound. If we start including July numbers, we see that

• The industrial production slow down goes from 12.1 to 9.8%
• Electricity generation is up 2.1% (a good indicator of economic activity)
• Construction up 20%
• Services up 10.6%
• CPI has ticked up but still is a reasonable 3.2%, PPI is 2.5%
• Foreign trade is still down 41%: Exports down 48%, imports down 36%

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Aftermath of the August 8 White House meeting
• Exclusion of Artsakh rights, hostages, and cultural heritage from agreements
• Section 907 waiver and dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group
• Managed capitulation vs peace: corridors, TRIPP, and 99-year lease claims
• Armenia–Diaspora tensions and Genocide recognition
• Azerbaijani lobbying, caviar diplomacy, and corruption probes
• Cuellar bribery case and ANCA’s victim-designation request

Key Questions Discussed

• How does the ANC view the outcome of the August 8 White House meeting?
• What are the consequences of leaving Artsakh out of the agreements?
• Where does the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group leave Artsakh’s cause?
• Can the diaspora continue advocating for Artsakh when Armenia undermines these efforts?
• How does Pashinyan’s stance on Genocide recognition affect diaspora advocacy?
• What obstacles does the Armenian American community face in countering Azerbaijan’s lobbying?
• What would it mean if Armenian Americans are recognized as victims in the Cuellar bribery case?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Asbarez: Armenia Has Not Gained Any Dividends From International Recognition of Armenian Genocide – Pashinyan
• Cuellar Indictment PDF (Texas Tribune)
• ANCA: Armenian Americans Should Be Designated Victims in Cuellar–Azerbaijan Bribery Case

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

In this Conversations on Groong episode, we speak with Dr. Gilbert Doctorow about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin, China, on August 31–September 1, 2025. We cover the summit’s outcomes, China–India relations, Russia’s energy pivot, Victory Day commemorations, and what the SCO means for Armenia.

Topics Covered

• The SCO Summit in Tianjin and the shift toward multipolarity
• Armenia’s blocked membership bid and the India–Pakistan dynamic
• Victory Day commemorations in China and Trump’s TruthSocial reaction
• The symbolism of Xi–Modi’s meeting and whether the U.S. has “lost” India
• Russia’s Power of Siberia-2 pipeline and its impact on Europe and Asia
• What’s in it for Armenia?

Key Questions Discussed

• How has the SCO evolved from a security forum into an economic and political bloc?
• What stood out in Tianjin as genuine turning points in global governance?
• How do Armenia and Azerbaijan fit into the SCO when each is blocked by rivals?
• What does Victory Day signify in Chinese political culture, and how does Trump’s framing play into U.S. domestic politics?
• Has the U.S. truly “lost” India, or is India leveraging all sides?
• What balance emerges if India joins Russia and China at the SCO core?
• How does the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline reshape Russia’s energy map, Europe’s exclusion, and Asia’s future supply?

Books by Dr. Doctorow

• War Diaries
• Memoirs of a Russianist: From the Ground Up and Russia in the Roaring 1990s

Links Referenced During The Show

• A New Chapter in Global Governance: The 2025 SCO Summit and the Rise of Multipolarity (World Affairs in Context, Lena Petrova)
• China’s SCO Summit Highlights West’s Growing Ideological Isolation (Simplicius)
• The Dawning of a New World Order (Glenn Diesen)
• Financial Times: Russia says China has agreed vast new Siberia gas pipeline
• Financial Times: A China-Russia sweetheart gas deal could upset US energy exporters

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• The arrest of Samvel Karapetyan after speaking in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church
• Use of pre-trial detention in Armenia and how it compares to international legal norms
• Lawfare as a political tool in Armenia’s justice system
• The erosion of church–state separation and constitutional principles
• Reactions from international actors and implications for Armenia’s global standing

Key Questions Discussed

• What are the charges brought against Samvel Karapetyan, and how serious are they under Armenian law?
• How does the use of pre-trial detention in this case compare with other recent political cases, including clergy?
• In what ways does the Karapetyan case reflect the broader trend of lawfare in Armenia?
• What does Armenia’s treatment of religious institutions signal about church–state relations?
• What diplomatic or legal recourse remains if Armenia continues to detain Karapetyan?
• How has the silence of Western governments affected the legal and political dynamics of the case?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• “If politicians fail, we will intervene in our own way” – Samvel Karapetyan (AlphaNews)
• Armenian authorities target businessman Samvel Karapetyan amid church dispute
• Pashinyan calls to nationalize electricity network after arrest of billionaire critic
• Samvel Karapetyan Files $500 Million Compensation Suit Against Armenian Government
• Robert Amsterdam official site

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• SCO Summit and Multipolarity

  • SCO framed as part of a post-unipolar world order.
  • Pashinyan–Xi meeting launches a China–Armenia Strategic Partnership.
  • Armenia now follows Georgia (2023) and Azerbaijan (2024/2025) in partnering with Beijing.
  • Pashinyan–Putin meeting to keep Moscow appeased despite Yerevan’s EU tilt.
  • Debate over whether Armenia’s diplomacy is “balanced” or just opportunistic photo ops.

• TRIPP / Zangezur Corridor

  • August 8 Washington MOUs published: vague, no “corridor” or “99-year lease,” only 3-year renewals.
  • Trump and Tom Barrack still use those terms; Aliyev insists his demands are met; Pashinyan claims full sovereignty.
  • No agreement on how TRIPP will function; Armenia and Azerbaijan openly contradict each other at SCO.
  • Iran remains wary of potential US presence on its border; Armenian officials unable to answer Tehran’s detailed questions.
  • Dissolution of OSCE Minsk Group on Sept 1 leaves Artsakh refugees and rights without an international forum.

• Tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia

  • Aliyev tells Al Arabiya that Russia occupied Azerbaijan since 1920 and calls the Ukraine war an invasion.
  • Unlike Pashinyan, Aliyev did not meet Putin at SCO.
  • Duma deputy Konstantin Zatulin warns: “We should not delude ourselves about Azerbaijan as a partner.”
  • Aliyev increasingly sees Azerbaijan as a “middle power,” but Moscow is expected to eventually retaliate.

• UK–Armenia Relations

  • Minister Stephen Doughty visits Yerevan after Baku, announces UK–Armenia Strategic Partnership.
  • Plans include resident defense attachés, cyber and hybrid-threat cooperation, and support for reforms.
  • UK arms embargo narrowed in July, opening loopholes for potential sales to both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
  • London’s goals: weaken Russia’s position and secure alternative east–west transit via Syunik.

Key Questions Discussed

• Is Armenia genuinely shaping strategy at the SCO, or just collecting “strategic partnerships” with little substance?
• With TRIPP, are we looking at genuine agreements or vague papers masking deep contradictions?
• How serious are Iran’s concerns about US involvement on its border, and can Yerevan even answer them?
• With the Minsk Group dissolved, what future is there for Artsakh Armenians’ rights and return?
• Is Aliyev overplaying his hand with Moscow by buying into his own “middle power” propaganda?
• Does the UK’s strategic partnership with Armenia strengthen Yerevan, or mainly serve London’s transit and anti-Russia goals?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Benyamin Poghosyan: September 2nd marks Artsakh’s 1991 Declaration of Independence; Armenians must keep that memory alive.
• Asbed Bedrossian: Independence of Artsakh should be remembered and celebrated, even under current conditions.
• Hovik Manucharyan: Keeping memory alive means speaking about Artsakh publicly at every opportunity, not just privately.

Kitchen Sink

• Samvel Karapetyan’s Movement: From jail, he launched “Our Way” (Mer Dzevov) to become a force in 2026 elections, led publicly by nephew Narek Karapetyan.
• ENA Arbitration: Pashinyan fired state lawyer Liparit Drmeyan after he warned regulators to respect a Stockholm arbitration order; PM declared “I am the government.” Karen Andreasyan, previously fired by WhatsApp in 2024, returns as Armenia’s international legal representative.
• Netanyahu’s Remark: On a podcast, he personally recognized the Armenian Genocide, sparking viral claims of official recognition. Israel still hasn’t passed this in Knesset. Turkey condemned him; Pashinyan had earlier told Erdogan Armenia would deprioritize genocide recognition.
• Spy Scandal: Armenian consul to Austria, Ashkhen Aleksanyan, arrested for allegedly spying for Azerbaijan through a romantic relationship; case largely covered up by authorities.
• Swiss Influencer Incident: Sandro Schmid filmed an Armenian border post, garnering 400k views; border guards offered vodka and cursed Putin while MPs are blocked from inspections.
• James O’Brien Statement: Former US official said Aug 8 deal gave Armenia no dividends, only benefits to Azerbaijan; Pashinyan hit back, blaming Biden-era failures in 2021–2023.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Prime Minister’s Office publishes Armenia–United States memorandums of understanding (Armenpress)
• China, Armenia establish strategic partnership during SCO summit (Armenpress)
• UK, Armenia agree to elevate ties to strategic partnership (Armenpress)
• Armenia, Pakistan establish diplomatic relations (Armenpress)
• UK Parliament statement on arms embargo, July 1, 2025
• Members of the Armenian-Azerbaijani expert strategic platform issue statement welcoming results of Washington meeting (Commonspace.eu)
• Aliyev interview with Al Arabiya (Youtube)
• Konstantin Zatulin interview (Lenta.ru)
• Jailed Armenian Tycoon Launches New Movement (Azatutyun)
• Armenian Official Fired After Warning Against Seizure Of Electric Utility (Azatutyun)
• Israel’s Netanyahu ‘Personally’ Recognizes Armenian Genocide (Asbarez)
• Sources reported the detention of the Armenian consul in Austria on suspicion of espionage (Кавказский Узел)
• Armenia bans unlicensed use of cameras, including drones at borders (Armenpress)
• Sandro Schmid’s Visit To An Armenian Border Post (Facebook)
• Channel 5 Coverage of the Sandro Schmid Scandal (Youtube)
• Former U.S. Official Questions Armenian-Azeri Deal Brokered By Trump (Azatutyun)

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• The Oval Office meeting of Pashinyan, Aliyev, and Trump and the TRIPP/Zangezur Corridor agreement.
• Risks of Armenia being drawn into great power struggles through U.S. involvement.
• The absence of security guarantees or right of return for Armenians from Karabakh.
• Azerbaijan’s growing alignment with Israel and implications for Armenia.
• Sachs’s view that Armenia must find solutions with its regional neighbors, not distant powers.
• Armenia’s recent economic growth, its dependence on Russia, and long-term risks.
• Sachs’s recommendations for Armenia’s economic and diplomatic strategy.

Key Questions Discussed

• How could the TRIPP/Zangezur Corridor bring peace, or instead trigger war?
• Why has Moscow’s reaction been muted, while Tehran remains strongly opposed?
• What are the dangers of U.S. military or paramilitary involvement in Syunik?
• Is peace possible without security guarantees and a right of return for Karabakh Armenians?
• Can Armenia rely on U.S. or European support, or must it seek security through regional diplomacy?
• How sustainable is Armenia’s recent economic growth tied to re-exports and remittances?
• What macroeconomic and diplomatic policies should Armenia adopt for long-term success?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• HaykMets tweet on the Oval Office meeting

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Armen Ashotyan’s imprisonment, conditions of detention, and current restrictions.
• The role and response of international organizations and the Armenian diaspora.
• The Pashinyan government’s targeting of the Armenian Church and broader political repression.
• The “Managed Capitulation Process”: Artsakh’s ethnic cleansing, the 17-point draft document, and constitutional preconditions.

Key Questions Discussed

• What was Ashotyan’s experience as a political prisoner under the Pashinyan regime?
• How has international and diaspora support compared to earlier eras?
• Why are Church leaders and activists being imprisoned, and why is society tolerating it?
• How does Ashotyan assess Pashinyan’s handling of negotiations with Aliyev and the so-called “peace” process?
• What does the 17-point draft document mean for Armenia, and how realistic is constitutional change as a precondition?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Episode 343 with Rafael Ishkanyan on Ashotyan’s case
• Aravot: “Political Prisoners in Armenia” (2018)
• EPP Political Assembly Statement on Armenia

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Key Questions Discussed

• What does Armenia’s sovereignty mean today, 35 years after its declaration?
• Why is the Armenian government keeping the US-Armenia/TRIPP agreements secret?
• What “security guarantees” can Armenia realistically expect from a U.S.-backed corridor?
• Is Aliyev sincere about peace, given his rhetoric of revenge?
• Did Pezeshkian leave Armenia with more questions than answers about Iran’s red lines?
• How is Russia signaling its strategy while avoiding a new front with the West?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: The Gaza genocide continues, with aid weaponized through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose chairman is reportedly one David Papazian.
• Tevan: Remember and celebrate Artsakh Independence Day on September 2, so that Armenians will return one day.
• Asbed: Armenian unity is not optional, it is strategic for survival.

Kitchen Sink

• Narek Karapetyan’s Video Address exposing inflated school construction costs.
• Jirayr Libaridian’s Article echoing Pashinyan’s positions while ignoring Artsakh.
• Russia cracking down on pro-Azeri pundits by labeling them foreign agents.
• Pashinyan hiring U.S. lawyers to fight the Stockholm Arbitration Court ruling on ENA.
• Defense budget cuts despite Azerbaijani buildup.
• Arsen Torosyan resigns as MP, rumored to take another ministerial post.
• Trump’s gaffe claiming to have ended conflict between “Azerbaijan and Albania.”

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Nikol Pashinyan and Donald Trump sign Armenia-US Memorandums of Understanding
• President Ilham Aliyev Meets with Kalbajar Residents, Presents Apartment Keys
• Pezeshkian’s Visit to Armenia and Iran’s Regional Strategy
• Masoud Pezeshkian on X (Aug 2025)
• Russian Vice-Premier Visits Armenia
• Russian Official Visits Yerevan, Says Some Details of U.S.-Backed Transit Route Remain Unclear
• Rights Group Files Legal Complaint Over Armenian Businessman’s Role in Gaza Humanitarian Fund
• Narek Karapetyan’s Video Address (YouTube)
• Jirayr Libaridian on the Trump-Aliyev-Pashinyan Meeting (Aravot.am)
• Sergei Markov Declared a Foreign Agent in Russia
• Շվեդական ապտակի գինը. Փաշինյանի կառավարությունը 3,25 մլն դոլար կտրամադրի ամերիկյան ընկերությանը Ստոկհոլմի արբիտրաժային դատարանում ՀՀ շահերը պաշտպանելու համար (168.am, Armenian)
• Armenian Government Signals Cap On Defense Spending
• Trump Says He Ended Hostilities Between “Aberbaijan and Albania”
• Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution system must be dismantled
• UN - UN experts call for immediate dismantling of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – Press Release
• Militarized Aid Distribution in Gaza — Institutionalizing the Weaponization of Aid and Reestablishing Israeli Military Presence

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

This Week in Review covers the Trump-Putin Alaska summit, the rebranded Trump Route (TRIPP) through Syunik, shifting Russian-Azerbaijani relations, Moscow’s recalibration with Iran after the U.S.-Israeli war, and the emergence of a new Armenian opposition movement called Our Way. Dr. Sergei Melkonian analyzes the stakes for Armenia, Iran, Russia, and Azerbaijan, plus domestic political shifts in Yerevan.

Main Topics Addressed

• Trump-Putin Alaska summit and implications for Ukraine and Europe
• Trump Corridor politics: Armenia, Iran, Russia, and the TRIPP project
• Russian-Azerbaijani tensions over SOCAR strikes and regional power shifts
• Russian-Iranian relations after the 12-day U.S.-Israeli war on Iran
• Armenia’s emerging opposition movement Our Way led by Samvel Karapetyan

Key Questions Discussed

• What was achieved at the Alaska summit, and is a negotiated end to the Ukraine war possible?
• Were Iran and Russia caught off guard by the Washington accords on the Trump Route?
• Who speaks for Iran when we interpret its divided responses?
• What are Russia’s interests and red lines in the corridor issue, and does the Trump Route clash with Point 9 of the 2020 ceasefire?
• Why are Russian-Azerbaijani relations deteriorating, and is TRIPP a cause or a symptom?
• How is Russia reshaping its diplomacy with Iran after the war?
• Does the emergence of Our Way mark a real reshaping of Armenia’s political landscape?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• RFE/RL: New opposition “Our Way” led by Samvel Karapetyan
• Reuters: Russia strikes SOCAR-linked assets in Ukraine
• RFE/RL: Govt to sell 20% stake in Viva Armenia (MTS)
• Hetq: Avinyan family villa at Lake Sevan investigation
• RFE/RL: Bagrat Srbazan recording released
• OCCRP: German ex-MP convicted in Azerbaijan bribery case

Thoughts from the Participants

• Sergei Melkonian: Azerbaijan is not interested in peace while the Western Azerbaijan agenda, prisoners, and the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh remain unaddressed.
• Hovik Manucharyan: Constitutional preconditions placed on Armenia make a real peace deal unattainable.

Kitchen Sink

• Tigran Avinyan’s father’s luxury villa at Lake Sevan (Shorzha)
• Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan case and release of the unedited audio
• Azerbaijani Laundromat update: German ex-MP’s suspended sentence
• Government to sell its 20% stake in Viva Armenia (MTS)
• Amulsar and molybdenum combine revived, with shares transferred to the state
• Pashinyan found in breach of ethics for indecent language

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Pashinyan’s campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church and its wider political implications
• The significance of India-Armenia relations in a shifting multipolar world
• The role of NGOs and foreign influence in Armenian governance
• The emergence of Save Armenia: A Judeo-Christian Alliance and its access to the Armenian government
• Armenia’s distancing from traditional diaspora organizations and attempts to create a “new diaspora”
• How U.S. politics and Trump’s foreign policy intersect with Armenia’s future

Key Questions Discussed

• What is driving Pashinyan’s escalating confrontation with the Armenian Church?
• How important is India to Armenia, and who is holding back this relationship?
• Does Armenia need FARA-style laws to regulate foreign-funded NGOs?
• Who is Save Armenia, and what is its relationship to both the Armenian government and Washington?
• Why is the Armenian government distancing itself from the traditional diaspora?
• What does U.S. involvement in the Trump Corridor mean for Armenia, Russia, Iran, and Turkey?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• As Armenian heritage conference opens, ‘we are not here to be bystanders’ (World Council of Churches)
• Pashinyan meets with Diaspora Commissioners (Government of Armenia)
• Tweet thread by Hovik Manucharyan on diaspora policy

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• The White House meeting: Trump secures 99-year rights to the TRIPP corridor, Armenia and Azerbaijan initial a peace agreement, and Section 907 is promised to be canceled.
• Iran’s mixed reaction compared to Russia’s muted stance, and what this means for Tehran’s regional strategy.
• TRIPP as part of a wider US-Israel plan to weaken and encircle Iran, with parallels to ongoing war threats in the Middle East.
• Iran’s long-standing passivity in the northern vector, shaped by concerns over ethnic Azeris and reliance on Russia.
• The 44-day war and Israel’s growing role in Azerbaijan as a turning point for Iranian security thinking.
• Possible future: Iran-Armenia cooperation beyond symbolic gestures, into logistics, intelligence, and military depth.
• Armenia’s uncertain political outlook ahead of 2026 elections and its ability to become a reliable security partner.

Key Questions Discussed

• How does TRIPP affect Iran’s national security compared to the original “Zangezur Corridor”?
• Is the corridor part of a broader NATO/US strategy to encircle Iran and cut it off from Russia and the Black Sea?
• What lessons did Tehran draw from decades of passivity and the outcome of the 44-day war?
• Can Iran’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia evolve into deeper defense integration?
• How should Iran approach Armenia now that Russia’s role is diminished?
• Could Tehran fill the vacuum in Armenia with real operational presence, rather than symbolic diplomacy?
• How do upcoming Armenian elections affect the feasibility of stronger Iran-Armenia ties?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• “Zangezur, the Flashpoint in the Caucasus: The formulation of the New World Order War on Iran’s borders” — Hamid Bahrami, IRAS
• Will Trump Take Part in the Next War Between Israel and Iran? — Foreign Policy

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• U.S. involvement in Gaza and Israeli policy objectives.
• The Iran conflict, ceasefire dynamics, and likely resumption.
• Russia–Iran strategic ties, BRICS, and the INSTC.
• The Trump–Pashinyan–Aliyev summit and “Trump Corridor” deal.
• Strategic implications for Russia, Iran, and India.
• India–Armenia relations in the regional context.
• Risks and opportunities from the Trump–Putin Alaska summit.
• U.S. debt, industrial decline, and limited capacity for Eurasian commitments.
• Armenia’s sovereignty issues, diaspora engagement, and political prisoner cases.

Key Questions Discussed

• Why is the U.S. involved in Gaza, and what is the endgame?
• Is the Iran conflict truly over?
• Will Russia stay on the sidelines if Iran is attacked again?
• Who benefits from the “Trump Corridor” and why is the U.S. pursuing it?
• How could control of an Armenian corridor affect Russia, Iran, and India’s transport networks?
• How important is India to Armenia and vice versa?
• Can the U.S. sustain its current global commitments given debt and industry constraints?
• What are the risks and possible outcomes of the Trump–Putin summit?
• How is the Armenian government affecting its own sovereignty and foreign relations?

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

This Week in Review examines the August 8, 2025 White House meeting between Donald Trump, Nikol Pashinyan, and Ilham Aliyev. Ambassador Dziunik Aghajanian joins to discuss the geopolitical fallout from the initialed but yet-unsigned “peace agreement,” the 99-year Trump Corridor lease through Armenia, and the scrapping of Section 907. The conversation covers the agreement’s omissions, Iran’s mixed but wary reaction, Russia’s cautious stance, and the broader strategic implications for Armenia’s sovereignty and security.

Main Topics Addressed

• White House meeting between Trump, Pashinyan, and Aliyev: terms, optics, and omissions
• U.S. strategic goals behind the Trump Corridor and Section 907 repeal
• Azerbaijan’s gains vs. Armenia’s losses from the deal
• Iran’s mixed reaction and concerns over U.S. corporate involvement
• Russia’s muted response and possible OSCE Minsk Group veto dynamics

Key Questions Discussed

• Is the agreement a genuine peace treaty or a setup for renewed conflict?
• What does Armenia gain, if anything, from this arrangement?
• How does the 99-year Trump Corridor lease affect Armenia’s sovereignty?
• Could the agreement’s language be used to suppress Armenian political opposition?
• What are the U.S. motives, and how does this tie into wider regional conflicts?
• How might Iran and Russia respond in the medium and long term?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Text of the initialed Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Agreement
• Trump, Aliyev, Pashinyan Hold Washington Meeting, Initial Peace Deal
• U.S. Set To Gain ‘Exclusive Rights’ To Corridor Through Armenia
• Iran will block U.S. corridor in Caucasus – Velayati
• X/Twitter – DD Geopolitics post

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: Imagine if the Armenian Apostolic Church were the Vatinan, where would the global outrage be if the Vatican were targeted the way the Armenian Church is being targeted?
• Dziunik: The Karabakh movement was rooted in self-determination and self-defense after pogroms in Azerbaijan, fully legal under Soviet law.

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Fallout from the Trump-Pashinyan-Aliyev summit in Washington, including the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and plans for a 99-year “Trump Corridor” across Armenia.
• U.S. dropping Section 907 to allow arms sales to Azerbaijan, while excluding Armenia from such agreements.
• Russia’s focus on the Ukraine war and its impact on influence in the South Caucasus.
• Turkish ambitions in the region and the erosion of Russian leverage over Azerbaijan.
• Possible Russian and Iranian responses to increased U.S. and Azerbaijani activity in the Caucasus.
• Armenia’s domestic political trajectory under Pashinyan, Western NGO influence, and institutional erosion.
• Strategic importance of Georgia, the Abkhazia railway, and potential diplomatic paths to reopening it.

Key Questions Discussed

• Is the Trump-Pashinyan-Aliyev announcement a genuine peace step or a provocation toward Russia and Iran?
• Why has the Ukraine war consumed so much of the Kremlin’s attention at the expense of the South Caucasus?
• Has Russia lost too much leverage over Azerbaijan, and why has it tolerated hostile actions?
• What is needed for Russia to reestablish influence in the Caucasus?
• How aligned are Russian and Iranian interests regarding the Zangezur/Trump Corridor?
• Could Azerbaijan’s state stability be more at risk than Armenia’s?
• What diplomatic steps would be necessary to reopen the Abkhazia railway for Armenia’s trade?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Krapivnik on Georgia – Neutrality Studies YouTube

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

In this Week in Review episode, we unpack the latest geopolitical maneuvers affecting Armenia—from the proposed Zangezur Corridor lease floated by the U.S., to the Trump ultimatum for a Ukraine ceasefire. We also examine the fallout from Azerbaijan’s decision to revoke ICRC access to Armenian POWs, and discuss the rising number of political prisoners inside Armenia itself. With regional tensions rising and domestic pressure mounting, is Armenia being squeezed from all sides?

Main Topics Addressed

• Zangezur Corridor and the US Lease Proposal

  • Turkish and Azerbaijani lobbying intensifies.
  • The U.S. reportedly proposes leasing the corridor for 99 years.
  • Conflicting responses from Armenia’s ruling party figures.

• Trump’s August 8 Ceasefire Ultimatum to Russia

  • Trump reportedly demands Russia end the war in Ukraine or face consequences.
  • Russian officials, including Dmitry Medvedev, invoke nuclear threats.
  • The U.S. moves nuclear submarines into position.

• Implications of US Pressure on Armenia

  • Armenia’s energy dependence on Russia.
  • Risks from secondary sanctions if Trump returns and escalates pressure on Russia’s trade partners.

• International Response to Corridor Proposals

  • Fyodor Lukyanov’s comments: Zangezur is a low priority for Russia.
  • Potential blowback from Iran, India, and China if a western-backed corridor cuts through Armenia.
  • Iran’s mixed messages: from military drills to diplomatic overtures in Stepanakert.

• Trump’s Tariff and Sanctions Policy

  • How tariffs differ from secondary sanctions.
  • Armenia’s limited trade with the U.S. shields it from tariffs—but not sanctions.

Key Questions Discussed

• Could a rumored Pashinyan-Aliyev summit in Washington change the game on the Zangezur Corridor?
• Is the U.S. planning to insert itself deeper into South Caucasus logistics?
• If sanctions tighten under Trump, how exposed is Armenia’s economy?
• Why did Iran’s new president attend a summit in Stepanakert alongside Aliyev?
• Has Azerbaijan succeeded in silencing international scrutiny over POWs?
• Is the Armenian government pursuing justice or performing damage control in the Sona Mnatsakanyan case?
• Has Armenia fully entered the era of political imprisonment?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Benyamin: Geopolitics are turning the South Caucasus into another soap opera.
• Hovik: Our response to Scott Ritter’s denial of the Armenian Genocide: F*** Y** Ritter!!!

The Kitchen Sink

• Political Prisoners in Armenia
  • Armen Ashotyan “released” from house arrest.
  • Continued detention of tens of other political prisoners.
  • Expanding use of pretrial detention, house arrest, and administrative supervision.
  • Concerns about the growing authoritarian trend.
• ICRC Revocation and POW Situation
  • Azerbaijan reportedly strips ICRC of its ability to visit Armenian POWs and hostages.
  • The ICRC shuts down its mission in Baku in response.
  • The 2020 ceasefire’s all-for-all POW clause remains unfulfilled.
• Russia restricts Armenian flower imports, threatening a key export sector
  • Armenia is the second-largest flower exporter to Russia.
  • Russia cites sanitary issues and alleged third-country re-exports.
  • Armenian businesses face tens of millions in potential losses amid growing political strain.
• The Death of Sona Mnatsakanyan
  • Pashinyan convoy driver convicted after 3 years.
  • Audio evidence allegedly withheld or destroyed.
  • Possible scapegoating of a low-level driver to protect higher officials.
• Wildfires in Artsakh destroy Armenian cultural and religious sites
  • Fires have consumed orchards, monuments, and religious sites on the eastern front.
  • Artsakh officials suspect arson aimed at erasing Armenian heritage and accelerating Islamization.
  • Azerbaijani authorities show little effort to contain the damage; pro-government media remain silent.
• Armenia sacks consul in Russia for defending the Armenian Apostolic Church
  • Narek Spartakyan was removed after criticizing attacks on the Church.
  • Government official Vahakn Aleksanyan claimed consuls must not oppose official policy.
  • Highlights Pashinyan’s increasingly hostile stance toward Armenia’s national church.

Political Prisoners in Armenia

From Facebook posts from Garen Megerdichian’s Facebook post:

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Yerevan Again Signals Support For Third-Party Control Of Corridor For Azerbaijan
• Possible Pashinyan - Aliyev meeting in Washington D.C.
• ICRC Shuts Down Azerbaijan Mission
• Fyodor Lukyanov on Russia’s Corridor Priorities
• Ruben Vardanyan’s Lawyer: POWs Not in Peace Treaty
• Conviction of Pashinyan’s Convoy Driver
• Critical evidence in Sona Mnatsakanyan’s trial destoryed or withheld
• Russia has imposed restrictions on flower imports from Armenia
• Armenian Consul in Russia Fired for Defending Church
• Scott Ritter’s denial of the Armenian Genocide

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Corridor Logic
  How Aliyev’s demands for a “Zangezur Corridor” persist, even as Pashinyan’s rhetoric shifts—from denial to adopting terms like “corridor” and even referencing “Turan.”

• Crackdown Logic
  Pashinyan’s targeting of Church leaders and critics, including the potential nationalization of Samvel Karapetyan’s companies like ENA, under the pretext of anti-corruption.

• IRI Poll Findings
  Widespread political disillusionment:

  • 61% trust no political leader
  • Pashinyan drops to 13%, Kocharyan up to 4%
  • The Armenian Church and Armed Forces emerge as most trusted institutions

• Russia-Azerbaijan Relations
  Following the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, Russia loses leverage in the region; Aliyev pivots westward.

• Armenia’s Mixed Messaging
  Pashinyan affirms Armenia is not leaving the EAEU while integrating EU/US standards. Trade drops 45%—linked to Ukraine war and reliance on Russia.

• Georgia’s Balancing Act
  Western pressure on Tbilisi over municipal elections contrasts with Georgia’s relatively stable ties with Russia.

• Implications of the Iran–Israel 12-Day War
  Armenia’s vulnerability if Iran destabilizes: refugee risk in Syunik, trade disruption, emboldened Azerbaijan.

Key Questions Discussed

• What is Pashinyan really negotiating behind closed doors with Aliyev?
• Has the Iranian “red line” against the corridor weakened after recent regional shifts?
• Are crackdowns aimed at silencing dissent ahead of 2026, or about consolidating wealth and power?
• Why do younger Armenians support the Church despite official hostility?
• With 61% of the public distrusting all politicians, what kind of political change is possible?
• Has Aliyev truly abandoned Russia, and is Armenia telling the truth about its Eurasian vs. European alignment?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Armenpress: Nazeli Baghdasaryan’s Response
• Asbarez: Iran Opposes Corridor Plan
• Azatutyun: Corridor Language Controversy
• Armenpress: ENA Legal Moves
• YouTube: Garegin II Remarks
• IRI Armenia Poll – June 2025
• IRI Armenia Poll – Dec 2024
• Asbarez Poll Summary
• Armenpress on Poll Reaction
• Follow-up from Armenpress
• Moscow-Baku Relations
• Pashinyan’s Moscow Trip
• Mirror-Spectator: Iran-Israel War & Armenia

Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: Pashinyan’s threat to storm the Holy See has the nation on the edge of civil strife.
• Benyamin: Geopolitics are turning the South Caucasus into another Middle East.

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• The publication of Arthur Khachatryan’s two-volume book Artsakh Negotiations
• Historical misrepresentations by the Pashinyan administration
• The 2020 war and why diplomacy failed
• The forced displacement of Artsakhtsis and the state’s campaign to silence their advocates
• The Church under threat: Pashinyan’s moves against Etchmiadzin
• Government crackdown on the ARF and opposition MPs
• The evolving language of “corridors” and proposals for foreign-managed transit routes
• The nationalization of Electric Networks of Armenia and its broader economic/political implications
• Foreign media’s treatment of Armenia’s authoritarian turn
• Discussion of a potential foreign agents law in Armenia
• Outlook for the 2026 elections

Key Questions Discussed

• What evidence does Khachatryan offer to counter the official narrative that Artsakh was always meant to be within Azerbaijan?
• Why is the Armenian government attacking the Church and threatening the Catholicos?
• What does the push to nationalize the ENA tell us about Armenia’s political climate?
• Has Pashinyan yielded to Aliyev’s demands, and if so, why?
• Why is the Armenian government now using the term “corridor,” after years of resisting it?
• How serious is the threat of banning the ARF and persecuting its members?
• Can Armenia continue without passing some version of a foreign agents law?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Karabakh peace proposals – Panorama.am
• Pashinyan’s press release
• Armenian PM’s 2023 corridor remarks – Public Radio of Armenia
• Rejection of US lease proposal – OC Media
• International arbitration and ENA – Hetq
• Government takeover of ENA – Azatutyun
• CivilNet TV MP comments
• ARF banning speculation – Armlur

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• The European Parliament’s July 2025 resolution on Georgia and its coercive tone
• The EU’s geopolitical strategy in the South Caucasus and its pressures on Georgia
• Trade and diplomacy: Georgia’s growing ties with Iran and China
• The regional pattern of attacks on traditional Churches in Georgia and Armenia
• Georgia’s upcoming municipal elections and the EU’s attempts to shape internal political outcomes

Key Questions Discussed

• What is the EU’s strategy in the South Caucasus, and how does Georgia fit in it?
• Is the EU pressuring Georgia out of concern for democracy—or to secure geopolitical leverage?
• Why does the EU oppose Georgia’s economic ties with Iran and China?
• What does the Anaklia port project symbolize in the context of EU–Georgia relations?
• Why is the Georgian Orthodox Church—and the Armenian Apostolic Church—under attack?
• Does joining the EU require giving up national identity and traditional institutions?
• What’s at stake in the 2025 municipal elections, and how are they being positioned as a referendum on Georgia’s legitimacy?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• The European Parliament Calls to Punish Georgia — Archil Sikharulidze on Substack
• EU Parliament Resolution A-10-2025-0110 on Georgia (PDF)
• Transcript: “The Church Under Fire” – Sikha Foundation

Wrap-up

Don’t forget to support us:

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Pashinyan’s meeting with Aliyev in Abu Dhabi
• Armenia’s offer to outsource control of the corridor to a U.S.-based company
• The surge in arrests targeting opposition figures and church leaders
• The case of 18-year-old ARF member Andranik Chamichyan
• Firing of Bishop Vardan Navasardyan from YSU
• Karen Igityan denied entry into Armenia despite decades of residence

Key Questions Discussed

• What was achieved in the Pashinyan–Aliyev meeting—and what was conceded?
• Is Armenia giving up sovereign control of its territory under the label of “outsourcing”?
• Why is the Armenian government arresting so many opposition figures and clergy?
• What does the strikeball case say about the use of state power against youth activists?
• How far will the government go to silence dissent ahead of the 2026 elections?
• What are the regional consequences of a NATO-linked corridor bordering Iran?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Al Jazeera: Draft peace deal remains unsigned
• Armenpress: Armenia open to outsourcing corridor control
• Arka: Court approves arrest of MP Artur Sargsyan
• Azatutyun: YSU theology dean dismissed
• Davit Beglaryan on political prisoners

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

• Constitution Day: Pashinyan’s rejection of Armenia’s founding document and what it signals
• Foreign-Controlled Corridor through Syunik: From rejecting a Russian corridor to considering a U.S.-managed one
• Kaja Kallas in Yerevan: What message did the Estonian PM and EU envoy bring to Armenia?
• Russia-Azerbaijan Breakdown: Arrests, beatings, media retaliation, and geopolitical friction
• Church Crackdown: Samvel Karapetyan’s arrest and surveillance of clergy raise alarm
• Stripping of Parliamentary Immunity: Ohanyan and Minasyan face charges over years-old land case
• Turkey’s Latest Insult: Talaat Pasha’s name proposed for border crossing amid “normalization”
• SCO Application Confusion: Armenia seeks membership in a bloc that includes many CSTO allies, and is incompatible with EU aspirations

Key Questions Discussed

• Has Armenia surrendered the principle of sovereignty by inviting U.S. oversight in Syunik?
• Why is Erdogan praising Armenia’s “constructive” stance on the Zangezur corridor?
• What’s behind Russia’s sudden crackdown on Azerbaijani-linked criminal figures—and Baku’s aggressive response?
• Are the criminal charges against Ohanyan and Minasyan politically timed and selectively applied?
• What does Turkey’s proposal to name a border crossing after Talaat Pasha say about Armenian-Turkish normalization?
• Is Armenia’s application to the SCO a realistic foreign policy shift or just more confusion?

Thoughts from the Participants

• Arthur: Reflected on the nationalization of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) and the strategic significance of Armenia’s electrical infrastructure, including the potential for AI data centers and cross-border power export.
• Hovik: Criticized AUA’s handling of student activism, raising concerns about the university’s values and its role in suppressing free speech during recent protests.

The Kitchen Sink

• Opposition Immunity Stripped: Ohanyan and Minasyan were charged over a land deal from years ago, even though the same property was previously attributed to Ohanyan’s wife. Meanwhile, Khachatur Sukiasyan, a regime-aligned oligarch with a long record of suspicious deals, remains untouched.
• Talaat Pasha Crossing: Turkey’s proposal to rename a border crossing after the chief architect of the Armenian Genocide is a humiliating blow amid Pashinyan’s push for normalization.
• Artsakh Parliament in Exile: With Davit Ishkhanyan detained in Baku, Ashot Danielyan was named Speaker and acting president by the Artsakh National Assembly in exile.
• SCO Membership Bid: Armenia’s announcement that it is applying to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, despite having burned bridges with CSTO members, adds another layer of strategic confusion.

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Erdogan’s “Zangezur corridor” comments
• Russia-Azerbaijan fallout
• Turkish MPs propose Talaat Pasha crossing
• SCO confusion and application
• Carnegie Endowment on Armenia-Turkey ties
• Kaja Kallas visits Yerevan
• Russian-Azeri mafia arrest report
• Seyran Ohanyan and Artsvik Minasyan charges
• Hraparak report on immunity vote
• Ohanyan case timeline in Aravot
• Khachatur Sukiasyan controversies
• Bodyguard livestock farm
• Illegal construction by Sukiasyan’s son

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

In this Week in Review, former ambassador Dziunik Aghajanian joins the show to unpack a week of escalating tensions across Armenia’s borders and within. The discussion covers the aftermath of Israel’s war on Iran, claims that Azerbaijan facilitated Israeli strikes, and a sudden fallout between Baku and Moscow after raids and retaliatory actions. Domestically, the Pashinyan government’s crackdown on the Armenian Church deepens, even as Emmanuel Macron offers public support. The episode also examines Kaja Kallas’ visit to Armenia and new EU-Armenia defense consultations, as well as Iran’s support for the OIC’s pro-Azerbaijani Istanbul Declaration.

🧭 Main Topics Addressed

• Israel’s war on Iran and its aftermath
• Iran-Azerbaijan tensions over use of airspace by Israeli drones
• Russia-Azerbaijan fallout after police raids and media suppression
• Frictions in Russian-Armenian trade and the EAEU
• The Armenian government’s deepening crackdown on the Church
• Macron’s endorsement of Pashinyan amid political unrest
• EU-Armenia defense talks following Kaja Kallas’ visit
• Iran’s support for the OIC’s Istanbul Declaration

❓ Key Questions Discussed

• What does Iran’s response to Israeli attacks reveal about its red lines?
• Is Azerbaijan’s collaboration with Israeli operations sustainable?
• Are Russia and Azerbaijan undergoing a real rupture or just a public spat?
• Is Armenia risking its economic position by distancing from Russia?
• What does the government’s crackdown on the Church mean for Armenia’s democracy?
• How should we interpret Macron’s endorsement of Pashinyan during this crisis?
• What real security value does the EU offer Armenia?
• Why did Iran back a strongly pro-Azerbaijani declaration at the OIC?

💬 Thoughts from the Participants

• Dziunik: The government’s actions against Holy Etchmiadzin are an attack on Armenian identity. Many are grieving, but also beginning to resist.
• Hovik: New MPG poll shows nearly 80% disapprove of the crackdown on the Church. This has hurt Pashinyan’s standing and may spark broader political pushback.

🔗 Referenced Articles & Sources

• Iran-Azerbaijan-Israel triangle
• Baku rejects Iran’s drone claims
• Russia-Azerbaijan tensions escalate
• Sputnik Azerbaijan raided
• Cultural fallout in Baku
• Kremlin response
• Crackdown on the Armenian Church
• Macron’s tweet
• OIC Istanbul Declaration

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

• Israel and the U.S. launch a 12-day war on Iran, triggering global and regional fallout.
• Armenia’s geopolitical silence and exposure to refugee flows and instability.
• Pashinyan’s cultural war against the Church, with mounting verbal attacks.
• Pashinyan’s June 13 visit to Istanbul and quiet meeting with Erdogan and Aliyev.
• OIC’s “Istanbul Declaration” includes sharp anti-Armenian language.
• Turkish-Azeri military drills in Nakhichevan amid regional war.

❓ Key Questions Discussed

• Is the Iran ceasefire stable, or just a pause before more covert action?
• How exposed is Armenia to fallout from the Iran-Israel conflict?
• Why does public support for Netanyahu persist despite mounting costs?
• Is Pashinyan using internal cultural fights to distract from real crises?
• What does Karapetyan’s arrest reveal about the state of dissent?
• Why has Armenia gone through six NSS chiefs in six years?
• Is Pashinyan replacing Russian-trained officials with NATO-aligned ones?
• How credible are the terrorism claims against Bagrat Srbazan?
• What influence did the Istanbul meeting have on the OIC declaration?
• Why is Anna Hakobyan’s program budget considered classified?

Personal Thoughts from the Participants

• Hovik: Shout out to Brian Berletic for excellent geopolitical coverage
• Sergei: Israel-Iran war was an important test for Armenia. Armenia must be ready, because it will come around.

The Kitchen Sink

• Crackdown on opposition figures tied to the ARF and the Srbazan Movement.
• Arrest of billionaire Samvel Karapetyan after defending the Armenian Church
• Gunfire Continues At Armenian Border Towns
• Dismissal of NSS chief Armen Abazyan amid rising pressure on security institutions.
• Lawsuit filed by Armine Fanyan accusing Pashinyan of inciting hatred.
• Anna Hakobyan’s “Education is Trendy” campaign shielded as a state secret.

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Israel’s and the U.S.’s strategic aims in the war on Iran
• Risks of regional escalation and the possibility of nuclear weapons use
• Strategic consequences of Iranian collapse or survival for Armenia
• Russia and China’s limited involvement and balancing calculations

Key Questions Discussed

• Is regime change the real goal behind the Iran war?
• Can Iran count on meaningful support from Russia or China?
• Is Europe now irrelevant in Middle East diplomacy?
• What are the risks to Armenia if Iran is defeated—or partitioned?
• How might Iran’s outcomes strengthen or weaken Armenia’s regional position?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Jerusalem Post: “Forge a Middle East coalition for Iran’s partition”
• Iran-China diplomatic statement (X)

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Israel’s Operation Rising Lion and its strategic goals
• U.S.-Iran nuclear talks derailed by the strikes
• Russia-Iran strategic partnership under pressure
• Armenia’s vulnerability amid shifting regional dynamics
• Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb and Russia’s possible escalation

Key Questions Discussed

• How does Moscow view Israel’s attacks on Iran, and what is Russia’s strategic stake?
• Was Israel’s goal truly to neutralize Iran’s nuclear program, or is regime change in play?
• What does the derailment of nuclear negotiations signal about U.S. intentions?
• Is Russia’s partnership with Iran strong enough to deter further aggression?
• Could Armenia lose its southern province if Iran is weakened?
• What are Russia’s real interests in the Zangezur Corridor?
• Has Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign shifted Russia’s rules of engagement?
• Will the “Special Military Operation” become a declared counter-terror operation?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Brookings – Which Path to Persia?
• Newsweek – Russians No Longer View U.S. as Enemy
• Telegram – Alexander Dugin’s Channel
• CNN – Russia vows payback for Ukraine drone attack
• TASS – Lavrov’s Comments on UK’s Role
• Substack – Larry C. Johnson on Ukraine’s Operations
• TASS – Russia Labels Ukraine Actions as Terrorism

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Overview of Armenia’s new surveillance law passed in March 2025
• Scope of facial recognition and biometric surveillance across public institutions
• Legal and technical gaps in Armenia’s regulatory framework
• Political abuse potential, including selective targeting of opposition figures
• Chilling effects on public behavior and civic engagement
• Lack of international response despite parallels to Serbia, France, and Canada
• Armenia’s poor data security record and implications for the future

Key Questions Discussed

• What exactly does the surveillance law authorize, and how broad is its reach?
• Why was the facial recognition component left vague in the legal text?
• Does the shift from private to public sector access meaningfully reduce surveillance?
• What international legal standards does the law contradict?
• How could this system be used for political repression or voter profiling?
• What does Armenia’s cybersecurity track record tell us about risks of abuse?
• Why is there little international outcry compared to similar laws in other countries?
• What steps, if any, can still be taken to halt or review the law?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Big Brother in Armenia (ACPR report)
• Episode 344: Draft Surveillance Law
• CSO Meter on Armenia’s surveillance law
• CSO Meter: “Right To Privacy” Rankings
• CSO Meter: “Freedom of Peaceful Assembly” Rankings

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Turkey and Azerbaijan’s support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor
• Growing Indian backlash and boycotts targeting Turkish and Azerbaijani companies
• Armenia’s potential as a strategic partner and tourist destination for Indians
• Challenges and prospects for direct flights between India and Armenia
• Opportunities for business, film, and hospitality cooperation between India and Armenia

Key Questions Discussed

• How did Operation Sindoor shape Indian public sentiment and foreign policy?
• Why are Indian tourists and businesses turning away from Turkey and Azerbaijan?
• What practical steps can Armenia take to benefit from India’s shifting preferences?
• What’s blocking the launch of direct flights between Yerevan and Indian cities?
• How can Indian-Armenian cooperation grow in tourism, film, and trade sectors?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Turkey off the table: Indian weddings, corporate events move out over Ankara’s pro-Pakistan stance – Economic Times

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.

Don’t forget to support us!

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

Main Topics Addressed

• Pashinyan’s Campaign Against the Armenian Church

  • Escalation of attacks on the Church and the Catholicos
  • Strategic goal of capturing the Church institutionally
  • Levon Ter-Petrosyan publicly backs the Church; Pashinyan retaliates

• Developments in the Ukraine War and Poland’s Presidential Election

  • Russia preparing retaliation following Ukraine’s “Spiderweb” operation
  • Trump and Nawrocki echo skepticism of Zelensky
  • Potential long-term weakening of EU anti-Russia unity

• Armenia’s Strained Relations with Georgia and Russia

  • Georgian obstruction of Armenian exports
  • Matviyenko’s visit fails to yield approval for Russian consulate in Kapan

• Status Check on Armenia’s Economy

  • Reported 5.2% growth contrasts with deeper economic issues
  • Decline in re-exports, industrial output down 18.5%
  • Budget shortfalls, defense under-spending, and questionable foreign borrowing

• RPA Names PM Candidate for Impeachment

  • David Hambardzumyan, Masis Mayor, proposed as symbolic but obscure candidate
  • Unlikelihood of impeachment process succeeding

• Demographic Challenges Facing Armenia

  • Birth rates remain low; aging population and emigration worsening the problem
  • Collapse among Artsakh refugees
  • Government attacks on the Church may further harm social structures

Key Questions Discussed

• Why is Pashinyan intensifying his attacks on the Armenian Church?
• How will Nawrocki’s win affect Poland’s position on EU enlargement and Ukraine?
• What are the root causes of Armenia’s weakening economy despite official growth claims?
• What’s behind Georgia’s trade disruptions with Armenia?
• Is the RPA’s impeachment plan serious, or just political theater?
• How deep is Armenia’s demographic threat, and what role does policy—and culture—play?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• ANCA: Ahmad Shahidov threatens invasion of Armenia
• Hetq.am: Ptghni land corruption scandal
• Hetq.am: Continued investigation of Ptghni scandal
• Iravaban.net: Tigran Avinyan’s declaration of assets
• Yerevan.today: More on Avinyan and crypto assets
• Factor.am: Gohar Abajyan heads Enterprise Armenia
• LA Opera names Domingo Hindoyan as music director
• TotalEnergies signs gas deal with Azerbaijan
• NATO’s NSPA signs agreement with Turkish defense firms
• BP announces solar project in Artsakh

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• The Turkey–Pakistan–Azerbaijan strategic axis and its growing cooperation
• Symbolism and significance of the Berdzor (Lachin) airport opening in occupied Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh)
• India’s Operation Sindoor: strategic intent and regional reactions
• Armenia’s strategic pivot from Russia to India
• The role of Iran, Chabahar Port, and India’s Eurasian connectivity ambitions
• IMEC’s viability and the challenges of multilateral infrastructure projects
• Turkey’s ideological influence operations in India and South Asia
• Future flashpoints and the need for India’s strategic countermeasures

Key Questions Discussed

• What does the emerging Turkey–Pakistan–Azerbaijan axis aim to achieve?
• How did Operation Sindoor reshape India’s regional military posture?
• Is Armenia becoming more than just a defense client for India?
• How does India manage its complex relationship with Iran, especially around Chabahar?
• Is the IMEC project dead on arrival, and what are India’s alternatives?
• How can India confront ideological and cyber threats in this evolving geopolitical landscape?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• India’s Russia Option – The National Interest
• India’s China Challenge – The National Interest
• The U.S. Doesn’t Understand Indian Diplomacy – The National Interest
• Are India and Armenia Moving Toward a Strategic Partnership? – The National Interest
• The Evolution of Terror Financing in Kashmir – The National Interest
• Turkey and Bangladesh: From the Rift of Jamaat-e-Islami to Defence Cooperation – Manara Magazine
• Turkey Comes Out as Pakistan’s Ally – Middle East Forum
• How Turkey Spreads Radical Islamic Ideology in the Indian Subcontinent
• India Must Prepare for a Final Showdown with Pakistan – Usanas Foundation
• Armenian–Indian Cooperation: Obstacles and Strategic Perspectives – Usanas Foundation
• Erdogan’s South Asia Playbook: Why India Is Angry with Turkey – ETV Bharat
• The Geopolitical Aspects of the India–Armenia Partnership – APRI Armenia
• Turkey Off the Table: Indian Weddings, Events Leave Turkey – The Economic Times
• Understanding India’s Armenia Outreach – Firstpost
• India–Afghanistan Diplomatic Ties Post Operation Sindoor – ETV Bharat
• An India–Armenia Intelligence Partnership for the 2020s – Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
• Can IMEC Emerge as an Alternative to BRI? – The National Interest
• Disquiet on the West Asian Front – Carnegie Endowment
• Turkey’s Islamist Agenda in India – VIF India
• India-Armenia: New Delhi’s Entry Points to the Caucasus – ThePrint
• Erdogan Calls for Firming Up Pakistan–Turkey–Azerbaijan Axis – ThePrint

Books by Dr. Abhinav Pandya

• Radicalization in India (2019)
• Terror Financing in Kashmir (2023)
• Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed (2024)

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.

Don’t forget to support us!

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

Main Topics Addressed

• War Drums in Ukraine and Iran
  Ukraine continued drone attacks deep into Russian territory, provoking harsh rhetoric from Moscow. Germany is suspected of supplying long-range Taurus missiles, and Chancellor Merz lifted range restrictions on Western weaponry. Trump called Putin “crazy” and signaled tougher measures might follow. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s attacks on Russian strategic bombers just ahead of peace talks in Istanbul raised the stakes. In parallel, US-Iran nuclear talks remain stalled, with the Trump team demanding zero enrichment and dismantling of regional alliances.

• Hakan Fidan Visits Moscow
  Turkish FM Hakan Fidan met Sergey Lavrov in Moscow to discuss the “3+3” regional platform involving Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Talks included unblocking transport routes, South Caucasus reconstruction, and Russia’s offer to help finalize the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty. Fidan also suggested Istanbul as a summit site for Zelenskyy, Putin, Trump, and Erdogan. Notably, he endorsed Aliyev’s approach in the region as “wise,” signaling alignment with Baku’s posture.

• Aliyev’s Airport Party in Lachin
  Aliyev opened yet another airport—this time in Lachin—with Turkish President Erdogan and Pakistan’s PM Sharif attending. The third such project in occupied Artsakh territory, this move was more symbolic than functional. It signaled trilateral strategic alignment and sent a pointed message to Armenia and possibly India, given Pakistan’s involvement. Corridor logistics and energy cooperation were also on the table.

• Attacks on the Armenian Church
  Azerbaijan’s Grand Mufti declared Armenian religious sites like Etchmiadzin to be on “historical Azerbaijani lands.” Instead of pushing back, Armenian leaders joined in with their own attacks. Anna Hakobyan accused the clergy of pedophilia on Facebook, while Nikol Pashinyan called churches “cesspools” and insulted a bishop in deeply vulgar terms. These outbursts followed Catholicos Garegin II’s attendance at a Bern summit on Artsakh heritage, raising questions about coordination with Baku.

• Impeachment vs. Elections in Armenia
  Edgar Ghazaryan renewed his call for Pashinyan’s impeachment, though it would require Civil Contract defections and lacks popular mobilization. Meanwhile, the ruling party seems to be outlining a 2026 campaign platform focused on illusory peace and temporary social welfare measures. Opposition parties remain fragmented but are testing platforms centered on national security, anti-corruption, and preserving Armenia’s sovereignty amid fears of Azerbaijani demographic influence.

• Kitchen Sink: Russian Consulate, US Diplomacy, and Nalbandyan
  Armenia delays opening Russia’s consulate in Syunik despite Lavrov’s visit—yet France’s honorary consulate moved ahead smoothly. The US, via Deputy Secretary Josh Huck, warns of the “real risk” of Azerbaijani invasion while encouraging a peace treaty. Meanwhile, businessman Narek Nalbandyan’s rapid rise—from underpaying for state-seized properties to dumping cheap eggs—raises red flags on corruption under Pashinyan’s government.

Key Questions Discussed

• Are Western arms and intelligence directly escalating the war in Ukraine?
• What are the strategic goals of Turkey and Russia in the South Caucasus?
• Why are Turkey and Pakistan aligning so visibly with Azerbaijan in Lachin?
• Is the Armenian government tacitly enabling Baku’s narrative against the Church?
• Can impeachment gain traction without public unrest or elite defections?
• What electoral strategies can the fragmented opposition realistically pursue?
• Is Armenia deliberately cooling relations with Russia over Syunik?
• What does the Nalbandyan case reveal about new oligarchs under Civil Contract?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Substack article by Simplicius The Thinker on Ukraine’s latest attack
• Erdogan and Aliyev inaugurate new airport in Lachin (aze.media)
• Azerbaijan, Turkey, Pakistan alliance in Lachin (aze.media)
• Mufti claims Etchmiadzin is “Azerbaijani” land (California Courier)
• Anna Hakobyan Facebook Post Attacking Catholicos and Clergy
• Hetq on Anna Hakobyan comments
• Swiss Peace Initiative on Artsakh (Kron4)
• Azatutyun report on Church controversy
• YouTube clip of Pashinyan attacking the Church
• Hetq on Yerevan city lawsuits
• News.am on Russian Consulate Delay
• US official Huck visits MFA (Azatutyun)
• More on Huck’s visit and US warnings (Azatutyun)
• Wealth of Gurgen Arsenyan (Armenia’s Ambassador to Russia)
• On Narek Nalbandyan’s rise and corruption:
  • 168.am – Nalbandyan’s empire and deals
  • 168.am – Egg dumping and market disruption
  • YouTube: Nalbandyan’s business coverage
  • Hetq report on business links
  • YouTube: Nalbandyan-related coverage

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Reflections on May 28, Republic Day, and the legacy of the First Armenian Republic
• Armenia’s contradictory messaging on EU membership and its relations with Russia
• Pashinyan’s push for constitutional changes to meet Azerbaijani demands
• Debate over elections versus impeachment ahead of 2026
• The growing risk of an Azerbaijani invasion and the muted official response
• Corruption allegations surrounding the mayor of Vagharshapat
• Joint military drills by Iran and Azerbaijan in Karabakh
• Announcement that Armenia will host the 2026 EPC Summit

Key Questions Discussed

• What does Republic Day mean in today’s post-Artsakh Armenia?
• Is Armenia pursuing EU membership or just signaling for political gain?
• Why is the government downplaying EU negotiations while passing pro-accession laws?
• Can constitutional changes be used to bypass internal resistance to the peace deal?
• Are elections or impeachment more realistic paths for regime change?
• How does the ARF view participation in 2026, and will it remain in the Hayastan alliance?
• What’s the ARF’s stance on “closing the Artsakh chapter”?
• How serious is the risk of an Azerbaijani invasion, and why is the government silent?
• Does allowing buyouts from military service undermine national defense?
• Is hosting the EPC Summit a genuine geopolitical move or election-season theater?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Armenia has not submitted EU membership application – Mirzoyan (ARKA)
• Lavrov’s visit to Armenia – Groong Ep 438
• Valentina Matvienko to visit Armenia – ARKA
• Russia appoints official to expand influence in Armenia – OC Media
• Putin could be arrested in Armenia – Business Insider
• Armenia and Azerbaijan Peace Talks – Crisis Group
• New corruption case involving Vagharshapat mayor – Azatutyun
• Joint Iran-Azerbaijan military drills – Azatutyun
• Armenia to host EPC Summit – Armenpress

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.

In this Conversations on Groong episode, we speak with Edgar Ghazaryan, economist, diplomat, and former ambassador of Armenia to Poland, about the state of media freedom in Armenia. The interview, conducted in Armenian, was recorded on March 9, 2025.

Ghazaryan’s recent criminal prosecution—which includes a speech restriction as a condition for his release—serves as a focal point for understanding the pressures placed on independent voices in Armenia today. We explore how the government’s tactics, from public media control to legal harassment, threaten free expression and democratic health in the country.

Խոսքի ազատությունը դատավարության տակ. ԶԼՄ-ների ճնշումը և Էդգար Ղազարյանի գործը

Այս Conversations on Groong թողարկման մեջ մենք զրուցում ենք տնտեսագետ, դիվանագետ և Լեհաստանում Հայաստանի նախկին դեսպան Էդգար Ղազարյանի հետ Հայաստանում լրատվամիջոցների ազատության վիճակի մասին։ Հարցազրույցը, որը վարվել է հայերենով, ձայնագրվել է 2025 թվականի մարտի 9-ին։

Ղազարյանի վերջին քրեական հետապնդումը, որը ներառում է խոսքի սահմանափակումը որպես նրա ազատ արձակման պայման, ծառայում է որպես կիզակետ՝ այսօր Հայաստանում անկախ ձայների վրա գործադրվող ճնշումները հասկանալու համար: Մենք ուսումնասիրում ենք, թե ինչպես են կառավարության մարտավարությունները՝ հանրային լրատվամիջոցների վերահսկողությունից մինչև իրավական հետապնդում, սպառնում երկրում խոսքի ազատությանը և ժողովրդավարական առողջությանը:

Main Topics Addressed

• Armenia’s press freedom rankings and reality

• The media landscape before, during, and after the 2018 “Velvet Revolution”

• Legal and administrative pressure on journalists and outlets

• Rise of online media

• The use of misinformation and fake news by state-aligned actors

• Հայաստանի մամուլի ազատության վարկանիշը և իրականությունը։

• Լրատվական դաշտը 2018 թվականի «Թավշյա հեղափոխությունից» առաջ, ընթացքում և հետո։

• Իրավական և վարչական ճնշում լրագրողների և լրատվամիջոցների վրա։

• Առցանց լրատվամիջոցների աճ։

• Պետական դերակատարների կողմից սատարող գործիչների կողմից կեղծ տեղեկատվության և կեղծ լուրերի օգտագործումը։

Key Questions Discussed

• Why is Edgar Ghazaryan being prosecuted, and what are the implications for free speech?

• What has happened to media freedom since 2018?

• How are public media institutions like the Public Broadcasting Council being used politically?

• What role does the government play in spreading or controlling misinformation?

• Ինչո՞ւ է Էդգար Ղազարյանը հետապնդվում, և ի՞նչ հետևանքներ ունի դա խոսքի ազատության համար։

• Ի՞նչ է պատահել լրատվամիջոցների ազատության հետ 2018 թվականից ի վեր։

• Ինչպե՞ս են հանրային լրատվամիջոցների ինստիտուտները, ինչպիսին է Հանրային հեռարձակման խորհուրդը, քաղաքականապես օգտագործվում։

• Ի՞նչ դեր է խաղում կառավարությունը ապատեղեկատվության տարածման կամ վերահսկման գործում։

Referenced Articles & Sources

• RSF: Armenia Press Freedom Index
• Freedom House: Armenia Freedom on the Net Scores
• Edgar Ghazaryan’s media-focused thematic discussion on YouTube

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.

Main Topics Addressed

• Trump’s Middle East diplomacy and Iran-Israel tensions
• Abraham Accords and Armenia’s rumored inclusion
• Russia’s war in Ukraine and its strategic effects
• Armenia-Azerbaijan “peace talks” and rising unilateral demands
• Lavrov’s visit and Russia’s recalibrated South Caucasus role
• Domestic political alignment ahead of Armenia’s 2026 elections
• ANC’s plans for a new political coalition

Key Questions Discussed

• Can renewed US-Iran talks stabilize the region, or are they a prelude to war?
• How serious is Armenia’s possible inclusion in the Abraham Accords?
• What are the likely outcomes of the war in Ukraine, and how will they affect Armenia?
• Are the Armenia-Azerbaijan talks legitimate negotiations or coercive ultimatums?
• Is Russia reasserting influence in the South Caucasus, and at what cost to Armenian sovereignty?
• Will Pashinyan try to align the 2026 elections with a constitutional referendum?
• Can a new opposition force emerge to challenge Pashinyan and Kocharyan?
• Does the ANC foresee any alliance with the Republican Party (RPA)?

Other Resources

• Linktree
• Patreon – Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee – Support Groong

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.

Don’t forget to support us!

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

• Pashinyan in Tirana: Very little was shared in advance about his meetings with Erdogan and Aliyev; post-meeting reports reveal renewed demands, including the removal of Mt. Ararat from Armenia’s coat of arms. European leaders echoed calls for a “swift” peace deal.
• Lavrov’s Visit to Yerevan: Russia aims to stay relevant in normalization talks; seeks presence, not outcomes.
• Crackdown on Journalism: Armenian journalists face persecution; authorities draft new anti-media laws.
• Municipal Corruption & Political Decline: Tigran Avinyan allies arrested; public confidence in Yerevan city leadership slipping.
• Election 2026 and Opposition Rifts: Kocharian eyes a comeback; factions split between elections and impeachment.
• Military Reform = Demilitarization?: $52,000 bill to shorten service seen as quiet demilitarization.
• The Kitchen Sink Segment: Follow-ups on Iran-Armenia ties, parliament chaos, and defense import cuts.

Key Questions Discussed

• What exactly are Aliyev’s expanding demands, and why does the West appear complicit?
• Why is Pashinyan negotiating secretly with Erdogan while Turkey blockades Armenia?
• Can Lavrov’s visit restore Russia’s influence in Armenia, or is it just optics?
• Is Armenia’s military reform a step toward national weakening under external pressure?
• Why are Western civil society groups silent as press freedom erodes in Armenia?
• Can the Armenian opposition realistically unseat Pashinyan in 2026—or are they too fragmented?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Aliyev Demands New Concessions
• Lavrov in Yerevan
• Zangezur TV Journalist Charged
• Kocharian’s Interview
• Military Reform Law

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

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.

Main Topics Addressed:

• US-Iran Nuclear Talks and Trump’s Middle East Visit
• Pezeshkian’s Visit to Baku and the Zangezur Corridor Debate
• Iran-Armenia Relations Amid Regional Pressures
• The Abraham Accords and Potential South Caucasus Expansion

Key Questions Discussed:

• How is Iran responding to Trump’s nuclear deal proposal and U.S. sanctions?
• What implications does Pezeshkian’s Baku visit hold for Iran-Armenia relations?
• Why is Iran opposed to the Zangezur Corridor, and what is its alternative proposal?
• How is Iran navigating internal divisions between reformists and conservatives regarding foreign policy?
• Could the Abraham Accords be leveraged to further isolate Iran in the South Caucasus?

Referenced Articles & Sources:

• Reuters: Trump says US is getting very close to nuclear deal with Iran
• Times of Israel: Trump: Iran given draft deal proposal, ‘I don’t know’ if Netanyahu can get hostages out
• Al Jazeera: Trump calls on Iran to ‘move quickly’ on nuclear proposal
• France 24: Pezeshkian visit to Baku as ties warm
• NIAC: Iran’s Pezeshkian visits Azerbaijan to revive ties
• Tasnim News: Pezeshkian affirms Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Karabakh
• Azatutyun: EXIM Bank approves $339M loan to Azerbaijan
• Mehr News: Iran-US talks to resume this weekend
• NBC News: Explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port
• AP News: Iran-US nuclear talks update
• Responsible Statecraft: US-Iran tensions rise amid talks
• Axios: Trump demands dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program

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.

Don’t forget to support us!

• Patreon - Support Groong
• Buy Me a Coffee - Support Groong

Main Topics Addressed

• Victory Day Parade in Moscow (May 9, 2025): A discussion of the geopolitical implications of Victory Day, including the attendance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the absence of Western leaders.
• Armenia’s Position and Posturing: Analysis of Nikol Pashinyan’s attendance at the parade without military support and Ilham Aliyev’s last-minute cancellation, highlighting the shifting regional dynamics.
• Historical Revisionism in Armenia: Artsrun Hovhannisyan’s portrayal of Armenia’s World War II legacy, downplaying Armenian contributions and promoting misleading narratives that echo Nazi rhetoric.
• Immortal Regiment March in Armenia: The significance of the Immortal Regiment as a unifying tradition in Armenia and how it serves as a counterpoint to the government’s efforts to reshape historical narratives.
• Gevorg Kolozyan - The Armenian in the Italian Resistance: The story of Gevorg Kolozyan, an Armenian from Gavar who joined the Italian resistance during World War II and is buried in Radicondoli, Tuscany.

Key Questions Discussed

• How is Victory Day being recontextualized globally amidst rising geopolitical tensions, especially by China and the United States?
• Why did Nikol Pashinyan attend the Moscow parade without sending a military contingent, and what message does this send to regional allies and adversaries?
• What are the potential implications of Artsrun Hovhannisyan’s historical revisionism for Armenian national identity and collective memory?
• How does the Immortal Regiment march in Armenia contrast with the state’s current attempts to downplay the country’s World War II legacy?
• Who was Gevorg Kolozyan, and how did his legacy as an Armenian resistance fighter in Italy resonate with the broader themes of wartime heroism and sacrifice?

Tribute to an Armenian Hero in Italy

Gevorg Kolozyan was just a young man from Nor Bayazet (today Gavar).

He was captured by the Germans during World War II. But Gevorg didn’t stay a prisoner. He escaped and joined the Italian resistance, fighting alongside the Garibaldi Brigade. He led missions to capture German soldiers and disrupt Nazi supply lines. Even after being wounded, he kept fighting until the end.