Armenia-Russia Relations

Pashinyan met with Turkish President Erdogan and promoted TRIPP while attending the UN General Assembly, as Azerbaijan escalates cultural erasure in occupied Artsakh and domestic tensions over church governance intensify.

Hovik and Asbed reflect on Armenia’s 35th independence anniversary amid the aftermath of Artsakh’s ethnic cleansing, Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku, rising citizenship costs, government opacity over war casualties, and deepening Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic coordination. Arthur Khachatryan, MP from Armenia Alliance, discusses opposition strategy after the June 2026 election, territorial concessions including Tigranashen, Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage, TRIPP and Azerbaijan’s control over transit corridors, the future of Russia’s 102nd military base, and  Read More

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dziunik Aghajanian about shifting geopolitical pressures on Armenia following Russia’s September 2026 parliamentary elections. We discuss Putin’s strengthened domestic position, the Armenia-Russia confrontation over the 102nd base, asset confiscation and anti-corruption efforts targeting Russian interests, and how Middle East escalation and the Iran War reshape Armenia’s strategic environment amid ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process tensions.

Three years after Artsakh’s ethnic cleansing, Azerbaijan escalates cultural erasure while Armenia faces internal tensions over TRIPP, Russian relations, and governmental accountability.

Hovik and Asbed examine the fourth anniversary of the September 2022 border war, Azerbaijan’s occupation of Armenian territory, Pashinyan’s trajectory toward recognizing Artsakh’s loss, Hajiyev’s revisionist claims at Gandzasar, TRIPP semiconductor leverage, Pashinyan’s Paris space summit visit, Russian financial flows through Armenia, and Russia-Iran coordination in the South Caucasus. Hrant Mikaelian examines U.S. chip diplomacy tied to TRIPP, Armenia’s energy crisis as the nuclear plant nears shutdown, and the structural failures driving Armenia’s  Read More

In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed examine the fourth anniversary of the September 2022 border war, Azerbaijan’s ongoing occupation of Armenian territory, and Pashinyan’s political trajectory toward recognizing Artsakh’s loss. We discuss Hajiyev’s inflammatory rhetoric, Armenia’s muted diplomatic response, TRIPP and semiconductor sovereignty, Pashinyan’s attendance at a Paris space summit, Russian financial flows through Armenia, and Russia-Iran coordination in the South Caucasus.

Armenia navigates complex regional diplomacy as Pashinyan meets Putin on EU ties, discusses TRIPP corridor implementation, while prisoner rights concerns and domestic political tensions escalate.

Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia’s precarious position at the SCO Summit amid Russian escalation in Ukraine, unprecedented Western diplomatic visits to Moscow, renewed US-Iran conflict, and Pashinyan’s meetings with regional leaders while former Artsakh presidents languish in detention and selective political prosecutions continue. Suren Sargsyan examines Washington’s unclear endgame in the Iran War, Russia’s military presence in Armenia amid great-power competition, and the competing U.S. and European stakes in TRIPP and Central Asian transit routes.

Putin congratulates imprisoned Robert Kocharyan on his birthday while ignoring Pashinyan’s reelection. The hosts decode the geopolitical message behind this selective honor.

In this week’s Groong news roundup, Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia’s position at the SCO Summit amid intensifying global conflicts. We discuss Russia’s escalation in Ukraine, unprecedented Western diplomatic visits to Moscow, the renewed US-Iran War, and Pashinyan’s meetings with regional and global leaders including Aliyev and Putin. We also address the ongoing persecution of former Artsakh leaders and the selective justice targeting Armenia’s political landscape.

Asbed and Hovik discuss Armenia’s impossible balancing act between EAEU membership and EU integration, and the economic and political consequences of Pashinyan’s refusal to choose.

In this week’s Groong episode, the hosts examine Pashinyan’s confrontation with the Armenian Church, Armenia’s strategic positioning between Russia and the EU, and the geopolitical implications of TRIPP. We discuss the trial of Catholicos Garegin II, Iran’s military leadership realignment, the Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense pact, and how these shifts reshape Armenia’s role in the South Caucasus.

One year after Trump-brokered peace, Armenia and Azerbaijan mark accord while Pashinyan faces mounting pressure from Russia, religious conflict, and domestic opposition challenges.

Dr. Pietro Shakarian explores the parallels between Stalinist repression in Soviet Armenia and authoritarian practices under the Civil Contract regime, examining how incomplete historical reckoning leaves societies vulnerable to recognizing new forms of political control. We examine Armenia’s new parliament sworn in on August 2, 2026, the Armenia Alliance’s direct challenge to Civil Contract over Tigranashen’s territorial status, the government’s evasive responses on border red lines, Armenia’s challenge to Russia’s railway concession, and how TRIPP reshapes  Read More

Tensions between Pashinyan and Putin over Armenia’s EU trajectory, Russian trade sanctions, and a forced choice between Moscow and Brussels dominate regional developments as a new parliament convenes.

Dr. Archil Sikharulidze discusses Russia’s shifting strategy in the South Caucasus, Georgia’s widening dispute with Europe, Armenia’s move away from Russian alignment, and how regional transit corridors reshape competition among Moscow, Brussels, and Washington. Hovik and Asbed examine escalating regional tensions as Ukraine expands operations into the Caspian Sea, striking Iranian and Russian assets, while analyzing how this merger of northern and southern conflicts affects Armenia, Kazakhstan’s energy security, and Pashinyan’s diplomatic positioning amid new  Read More

Armenia’s opposition takes parliamentary seats despite rejecting election results as fraudulent; Pashinyan pursues constitutional change and TRIPP corridor while managing tensions with Iran, Russia, and internal political repression.

Hovik and Asbed analyze Armenia’s Constitutional Court ruling upholding the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election results, the disqualification of Prosperous Armenia votes, Civil Contract’s three-fifths majority, the opposition’s parliamentary leverage, and what these outcomes mean for Armenian sovereignty amid ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process negotiations and regional pressures. Dr. Sergey Markedonov examines Russia’s strategic bandwidth problem in Ukraine, the geopolitical stakes of TRIPP in Syunik, and Pashinyan’s Western pivot following Armenia’s  Read More

Ambassador Aghajanian explains why Russia has escalated restrictions on Armenian exports and issued warnings to Pashinyan, arguing Pashinyan has crossed Moscow’s red lines by pursuing a Western pivot while maintaining EAEU membership.

Russia’s embargo on Armenian agricultural exports will devastate the economy by late summer, forcing farmers into poverty and threatening Armenia’s food security and agricultural planning.

Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections yielded Pashinyan’s third consecutive victory but triggered constitutional challenges from six opposition groups, mass arrests, and deepening geopolitical tensions with Russia.

Hovik Manucharyan and Asbed Bedrossian examine Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary election results, shifting Armenia-Georgia relations amid EU corridor initiatives, and a landmark US-Iran interim agreement that reshapes regional security architecture. Hrant Mikaelian examines the disputed aftermath of Armenia’s June 7, 2026 parliamentary election, discussing electoral fraud allegations, government threats against opposition parties, Armenia-Russia tensions, EU support for Armenian exports, and why political polling failed to predict the result.

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.

Anna Grigoryan of Hayastan Dashinq (Armenia Alliance) joins Groong to discuss Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary election and the start of the official campaign. The conversation examines the EPC and Armenia-EU summits in Yerevan, EU political and financial support for Pashinyan, Aliyev’s remote demarche, and opposition protests around Artsakh rights, Armenian prisoners, and democratic backsliding. The episode also covers opposition coalition math, Hayastan Dashinq’s 8% bloc threshold, Strong Armenia’s lead among opposition forces, possible post-election governing formulas,  Read More

A New Détente? The Trump-Putin Call. Russia’s Strategic Choices. Russo-Armenian Relations. Russo-Azerbaijani Relations. Georgia’s Pragmatism.