Donald Trump
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency in January 2025 brought a distinct set of priorities to US engagement in the South Caucasus. The Trump administration’s signature regional initiative has been the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a connectivity proposal centered on opening the Zangezur Corridor through Armenia to link Turkey and Azerbaijan — and potentially extending to regional economic integration. The proposal has been controversial in Armenia, where many view it as pressure to make territorial concessions to Azerbaijan under the banner of economic development.
More broadly, the Trump administration’s approach to the South Caucasus reflects its transactional foreign policy: prioritizing deal-making, reducing emphasis on democracy and human rights conditions, and recalibrating relationships with traditional allies and adversaries alike. For Armenia, this has meant navigating a US posture that is simultaneously a potential counterweight to Russia and a source of pressure on the peace process.
Groong has covered Trump’s impact on Armenian affairs extensively, from the TRIPP proposal and its reception in Yerevan to US-Armenia security cooperation, Congressional dynamics, and how Trump-era US foreign policy compares with the Biden approach to the South Caucasus.
2026 Elections: A Mandate Under Dispute | Ep 556, June 7, 2026 [EP556]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Disputed mandate, unresolved majority
- Election-day irregularities in plain sight
- ODIHR’s mixed preliminary verdict
- Bribery replaced by state spending
- Opposition’s next steps uncertain
Episode 556 | Recorded: Jun 9, 2026 #ArmenianElections #ArmenianNews #CivilContract #Pashinyan #Election2026 #SouthCaucasus
Sergey Markedonov - Russia-Armenia Relations Before the Vote | Ep 552, June 1, 2026 [EP552]
Posted on Monday, Jun 1, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Russia, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Turkey, Iran, Georgia | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- TRIPP and Regional Balance
- Armenia’s Geopolitical Election
- Pashinyan’s “Real Armenia”
- Russia’s Economic Pressure
Episode 552 | Recorded: May 31, 2026
#RussiaArmenia #SergeyMarkedonov #ArmeniaElections #Pashinyan #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #RealArmenia #EAEU
Arthur Khachatryan - Armenia Alliance in the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election | Ep 551, May 31, 2026 [EP551]
Posted on Sunday, May 31, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Free and fair elections
- Polls and opposition unity
- Hayastan Dashinq platform
- TRIPP and foreign policy
- Economy and Russian pressure
Episode 551 | Recorded: May 30, 2026
#ArmeniaElections #ArthurKhachatryan #HayastanDashinq #ArmenianOpposition #Pashinyan #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Groong
Rubio Visit, New MPG and IRI Polls, Hidden Votes and Why Are You Alive? | Ep 550, May 24, 2026 [EP550]
Posted on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan, Russia, China | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Rubio’s sudden Armenia visit
- Polls diverge before election
- Hidden vote raises questions
- TRIPP remains deeply polarizing
- “Western Azerbaijan” pressure grows
- Opposition faces arrests, threats
- “Why are you alive?” campaign rhetoric
Episode 550 | Recorded: May 25, 2026
#ArmeniaElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #TRIPP #ZangezurCorridor #WesternAzerbaijan #ArmenianOpposition
Edgar Elbakyan - The Battle for Armenia’s Political Future | Ep 549, May 24, 2026 [EP549]
Posted on Sunday, May 24, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenia’s existential election
- Polling under fear
- Divergent polling results
- Church and state conflict
- Post-election street pressure
Episode 549 | Recorded: May 22, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #EdgarElbakyan #StrongArmenia #ArmeniaAlliance #ArmeniaElections
Pashinyan's Hate Speech, Threats, and the June 7 Election Climate | Ep 547, May 17, 2026 [EP547]
Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Election, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Russia, China, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, NATO | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Trump, China, and Iran
- Armenia-Russia “soft divorce”
- Pashinyan’s violent campaign rhetoric
- State resources and election pressure
- Javakhk church vandalism concerns
Episode 547 | Recorded: May 18, 2026
#Pashinyan #ArmeniaElections #ArmenianPolitics #PoliticalViolence #HateSpeech #ArmeniaRussia #IranWar #SouthCaucasus
Arman Grigoryan - Revolutionary Recklessness: Armenia After the War | Ep 546, May 15, 2026 [EP546]
Posted on Friday, May 15, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Russia, Iran, Israel, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, NATO | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Revolutionary recklessness after 2020
- Armenia’s pivot away from Russia
- Artsakh’s surrender and strategic reorientation
- TRIPP, Syunik, and security guarantees
- Western backing, Armenian risk
Episode 546 | Recorded: May 13, 2026
#ArmanGrigoryan #Armenia #Russia #Pashinyan #Artsakh #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Geopolitics
Anna Grigoryan - Armenia Alliance in the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election | Ep 544, May 11, 2026 [EP544]
Posted on Monday, May 11, 2026 | Category: Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, European Union, Economy, NATO, Human Rights | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Election campaign and opposition strategy
- EPC, EU-Armenia summit, and foreign influence
- Foreign policy, security, and regional risks
- Domestic priorities and election integrity
Episode 544 | Recorded: May 9, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaElections #HayastanDashinq #EPCSummit #TRIPP #Artsakh
Anatol Lieven - Russia, Iran, Europe, and the Remaking of World Order | Ep 541, May 8, 2026 [EP541]
Posted on Friday, May 8, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Ukraine, Russia, European Union, Iran, Israel, China, Azerbaijan, Turkey | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Russia, Iran, Europe, multipolar order
- Ukraine war and Russia-West tensions
- Iran war and diplomatic offramps
- Armenia, TRIPP, South Caucasus
Episode 541 | Recorded: May 5, 2026
#AnatolLieven #Russia #Iran #Europe #UkraineWar #SouthCaucasus