Armenia-Russia Relations

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Sergey Markedonov about Russia-Armenia relations and Armenia’s geopolitical position ahead of the June 7, 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections. We discuss the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), Russian concerns about regional balance, Pashinyan’s westward orientation, economic pressure from Moscow, and how Armenia’s strategic partnerships will shape its future in the South Caucasus.

Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary campaign turned sharply confrontational as security forces raided opposition offices, Russia escalated economic pressure through export bans, and Pashinyan announced new railway connectivity through Turkey while signaling further territorial concessions to Azerbaijan.

We examine Pashinyan’s violent campaign rhetoric, the abuse of state resources ahead of Armenia’s June 7 election, selective law enforcement against the opposition, the worsening Armenia-Russia relationship, and the vandalism of an Armenian church in Javakhk. We survey all 17 parties and 2 alliances registered for Armenia’s June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections, walking through each participant’s leadership, polling numbers, platform, and geopolitical orientation. Political scientist Edgar Elbakyan joins the hosts to examine Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary  Read More

This Week in Review covers a tense mix of global and Armenian political crises, from Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping and the deepening Iran war, to Armenia’s worsening relations with Russia and the risks to trade, energy, and security ties. Hovik and Asbed also examine Armenia’s heated election climate, including allegations of state pressure, abuse of administrative resources, selective law enforcement, Pashinyan’s violent campaign rhetoric against opposition leaders, and the muted response of international observers. The episode also looks at Robert Kocharyan’s call for major-power guarantees for peace with Azerbaijan, and the vandalism of the Sourp Nshan Armenian Church in Javakhk.