Antony Blinken

Last updated: May 29, 2026

Antony Blinken served as US Secretary of State from January 2021 to January 2025. During his tenure, the State Department became an active mediator in Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations, working in parallel with the EU-led Brussels process to encourage a settlement. His meetings with Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers and his public statements on the conflict were closely followed by Groong.

Episodes covering Blinken examine US diplomatic engagement in the South Caucasus, American positions on the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive against Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) and the ethnic cleansing of its Armenian population, US sanctions policy toward Azerbaijan, and the broader question of how much leverage Washington was willing to apply on Baku. With 50,000 monthly searches, Blinken remains a frequently searched figure, though his departure from office in January 2025 means that volume is likely to decline over time.

35th Anniversary of the Sumgait Pogroms | Russia Warns the EU and Armenia | Armenian Azerbaijani Negotiations Continue | Ep 232 - Feb 26, 2023 [EP232]

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Artsakh Blockade, China, NATO, Syria, Genocide, Georgia | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • 35th Anniversary of the Sumgait Pogroms
  • Turkey after the Earthquake
  • One Year Anniversary of the War in Ukraine
  • Azerbaijan-Armenian Negotiations Continue
  • Personal topics

Episode 232 | Recorded: February 28, 2023

Anna Abrahamian: Munich Security Conference | Artsakh [EP230]

Posted on Friday, Feb 24, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, China, Russia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, Ukraine, NATO, Turkey, Genocide, Iran, Israel, Economy, Syria, European Union, Georgia, Middle East | Series: cog, video

Today we’re going to talk with Anna Abrahamian about two or three topics.

  • The Munich Security Conference 2023.
  • We’ll touch on Russian president Putin’s state of the federation address.
  • The latest political developments in Artsakh.

Guest:

  • Anna Abrahamian, a geopolitical analyst who splits her time between Moscow and Athens. Having obtained training in international law, Anna has worked in such noteworthy institutions as the Defense Analyses Institute in Athens as well as the Crisis Group in Brussels. Today, Anna provides her analysis on geopolitics and Armenian politics to her
 Read More

Suren Sargsyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 72 [EP228]

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 21, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Blockade, 168am, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Armenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, Middle East | Series: cog, video

Guests:

  • Suren Sargsyan, founder and a President at the Armenian Center for American Studies, a research center based in Yerevan.

“Pashinyan’s participation in Munich Security Conference didn’t give anything to Armenia” - Suren Sargsyan

Topic:

Today is day 72 of the total blockade of Artsakh. For 72 days, the 120K citizens of Artsakh have not had the ability to enter or exit their country. They are deprived of the ability to visit Armenia or to receive guests from Armenia. With very limited supplies, they are forced to ration food with the help of food stamps in order to

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35th Anniversary of the Karabakh Movement | Russia Warns the EU and Armenia | Armenian Azerbaijani Negotiations Continue | Ep 226 - Feb 19, 2023 [EP226]

Posted on Monday, Feb 20, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Iran, Ukraine, Georgia, Economy, Geopolitics, Turkey | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • 35th Anniversary of the Karabakh Movement
  • Russia Warns the EU and Armenia
  • Armenian Azerbaijani Negotiations Continue
  • Personal topics

Episode 226 | Recorded: February 19, 2023

Border Delimitations | FMs in DC | Azerbaijan Iran Acrimony | Ruben Vardanyan Artsakh State Minister [EP175]

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 8, 2022 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Israel, Russia, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Georgia, Middle East, Ukraine | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Latest “Peace” Developments
    • Border Delimitation Discussions in Brussels
    • Meeting of the Foreign Ministers in DC
  • Bellicose Statements Between Azerbaijan and Iran
  • Ruben Vardanyan Takes Over as State Minister of Artsakh

Episode 175 | Recorded: November 8, 2022

Armenian News: Protests Growing | FM Mirzoyan in DC | Normalization ROUnd 3 | Ep #135 - May 8, 2022 [EP135]

Posted on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Georgia, Artsakh, Geopolitics, Human Rights, Nagorno Karabakh, Ukraine, European Union | Series: wir

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 8, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:49 Mass Protests Growing in Yerevan
  • 24:31 FM Mirzoyan in Washington DC
  • 38:38 Normalization Round 3
  • 52:25 Rants

Guest:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos

Host:

  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 135 | Recorded: Tuesday, May 10, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220508.html

Armenian Foreign policy Between War and Peace | Ep #80 - July 22, 2021 [EP80]

Posted on Thursday, Jul 22, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Artsakh, Ukraine, Georgia, China, India, Syria, Economy, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO, European Union | Series: cog

Armenian Foreign policy Between War and Peace A Conversation with Dr. Pietro Shakarian and Yeghia Tashjian

Topics:

  • Sparring Partners: Moscow and Ankara
  • Yerevan’s Diplomatic Dilemmas
  • Aliyev’s Appetite and Ambitions

Guests

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian
  • Yeghia Tashjian

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 80 | Recorded: July 21, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20210722.html

Supreme Judicial Council | Turk-Azerbaijani Military Exercises in Kars | Blinken on Armenia (Ep #45) [EP45]

Posted on Monday, Jan 25, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Genocide, Syria, Artsakh, Armenian Genocide, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - Jan 24, 2021

Topics Covered:

  • Supreme Judicial Council Appointments
  • Turkish-Azerbaijan Military Exercises in Kars Region
  • Incoming US Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Armenia

Guests

  • Aram Hamparian
  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Emil Sanamyan

Your Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian
  • Hovik Manucharyan

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210124.html Episode 45 | Recorded on January 24, 2021