Donald Trump

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.

Benyamin Poghosyan - Ukraine War update, Pashinyan’s Persecution of Church and Opposition intensifies | Ep 483, Nov 2, 2025 [EP483]

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 4, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, USA, Armenian Church, Artsakh Blockade, China, Economy, Genocide, India, Iran, Middle East, NATO

Groong Links:

Guest:

Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

Ukraine war status and U.S.âRussia dynamics
Churchâstate tensions and religious prosecutions
Opposition arrests, trials, and civil liberties
Border demarcation, enclaves

Episode 483 | Recorded: November 3, 2025

Trita Parsi - Prospect, Grounds and Consequences of a Second Israeli War on Iran | Ep 482, Nov 1, 2025 [EP482]

Posted on Saturday, Nov 1, 2025 | Category: Middle East, Iran, Israel, Syria, USA, Armenia, Azerbaijan, European Union, Lebanon, Russia, Turkey | Series: cog

Groong Links:

Guest:

Dr. Trita Parsi , EVP, Quincy Institute

Topics:

Timing and intent for an Israel and Iran clash
Unfinished business from the June war
US role, limited support or full engagement
Iranâs escalation ladder and Caucasus spillover scenarios

Episode 482 | Recorded on October 30, 2025

Trita Parsi - Prospect, Grounds and Consequences of a Second Israeli War on Iran | Ep 482, Nov 1, 2025 [EP482]

Posted on Saturday, Nov 1, 2025 | Category: Middle East, Iran, Israel, Syria, USA, Armenia, Azerbaijan, European Union, Lebanon, Russia, Turkey

Groong Links:

Guest:

Dr. Trita Parsi , EVP, Quincy Institute

Topics:

Timing and intent for an Israel and Iran clash
Unfinished business from the June war
US role, limited support or full engagement
Iranâs escalation ladder and Caucasus spillover scenarios

Episode 482 | Recorded on October 30, 2025

Transcript: Trita Parsi - Prospect, Grounds and Consequences of a Second Israeli War on Iran | Ep 482, Nov 1, 2025 [EP482]

Posted on Saturday, Nov 1, 2025 | Category: Middle East, Iran, Israel, Syria, USA, Armenia, Azerbaijan, European Union, Lebanon, Russia, Turkey, Transcript

A deep dive with Dr. Trita Parsi on whether Israel will strike Iran again, why June’s war left “unfinished business,” how much Israel depends on the United States, what Iran’s rapid-response playbook looks like after June, and how a wider fight could spill into the South Caucasus and affect Armenia. Recorded Oct 30, 2025.