Tag: 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.

Dziunik Aghajanian - Trump, Aliyev, Pashinyan Oval Office Meeting and Reactions | Ep 459, Aug 10, 2025 [EP459]

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, USA, Russia | Series: wir, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Trump, Aliyev, Pashinyan Meeting
  • Iranian Reaction
  • Russian Reaction

Episode 459 | Recorded: August 11, 2025

Dziunik Aghajanian - Trump, Aliyev, Pashinyan Oval Office Meeting and Reactions | Ep 459, Aug 10, 2025 [EP459]

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, USA, Russia

Guest:

Topics:

  • Trump, Aliyev, Pashinyan Meeting
  • Iranian Reaction
  • Russian Reaction

Episode 459 | Recorded: August 11, 2025

Transcript: Douglas MacGregor & Christine Arakelian - Armenia in the Crosshairs of US Geopolitical Winds | Ep 460, Aug 12, 2025 [EP460]

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 | Category: Georgia, Politics, Armenia, USA, Israel, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Syria, India, China, Ukraine, Transcript

Summary In this episode, Christine Arakelian and Col. Douglas MacGregor join the hosts to analyze U.S. foreign policy moves from Gaza to the South Caucasus. They discuss Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza, the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and the likely resumption of hostilities. The conversation examines the Trump–Pashinyan–Aliyev White House summit, the strategic “Trump Corridor” across Armenia, and its impact on Russia, Iran, and India. The guests explore India–Armenia relations, U.S. economic vulnerabilities, and the challenges of sustaining a long-term American role in the  Read More

Stanislav Krapivnik - The Evolving World Order, Russia, and the South Caucasus | Ep 458, Aug 9, 2025 [EP458]

Posted on Sunday, Aug 10, 2025 | Category: Georgia, Politics, Ukraine, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan | Series: cog, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Trump, Pashinyan, Aliyev DC Summit
  • Ukraine War and the Shifting World Order
  • Russia and the South Caucasus

Episode 458 | Recorded: August 9, 2025

Stanislav Krapivnik - The Evolving World Order, Russia, and the South Caucasus | Ep 458, Aug 9, 2025 [EP458]

Posted on Sunday, Aug 10, 2025 | Category: Georgia, Politics, Ukraine, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan

Guest:

Topics:

  • Trump, Pashinyan, Aliyev DC Summit
  • Ukraine War and the Shifting World Order
  • Russia and the South Caucasus

Episode 458 | Recorded: August 9, 2025

Transcript: Stanislav Krapivnik - The Evolving World Order, Russia, and the South Caucasus | Ep 458, Aug 9, 2025 [EP458]

Posted on Sunday, Aug 10, 2025 | Category: Georgia, Politics, Ukraine, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Transcript

In this episode, former U.S. Army officer and military-political analyst Stanislav Krapivnik discusses the geopolitical fallout from the Trump-Pashinyan-Aliyev summit in Washington, which saw the announcement of a “peace” framework, the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, U.S. plans for a 99-year “Trump Corridor” across Armenia, and the dropping of Section 907 to allow arms sales to Azerbaijan. He examines Russia’s heavy focus on the Ukraine war at the expense of the South Caucasus, the loss of Russian leverage over Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the growing role of Turkey. Krapivnik warns of  Read More

Benyamin Poghosyan - Trump Ultimatum to Putin, Corridor Pressures, DC Summit, Kitchen Sink | Ep 457, Aug 3, 2025 [EP457]

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 5, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, India, China, Armenian Genocide | Series: wir, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Trump Ultimatum to Putin
  • US Sanctions effect on Armenia
  • Turkey, US, and Armenia’s Territory
  • The Kitchen Sink

Episode 457 | Recorded: August 3, 2025

Benyamin Poghosyan - Trump Ultimatum to Putin, Corridor Pressures, DC Summit, Kitchen Sink | Ep 457, Aug 3, 2025 [EP457]

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 5, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, India, China, Armenian Genocide

Guest:

Topics:

  • Trump Ultimatum to Putin
  • US Sanctions effect on Armenia
  • Turkey, US, and Armenia’s Territory
  • The Kitchen Sink

Episode 457 | Recorded: August 3, 2025

Archil Sikharulidze - Why does Georgia matter for the EU | Ep 454, Jul 24, 2025 [EP454]

Posted on Thursday, Jul 24, 2025 | Category: Georgia, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, USA, Armenian Church | Series: cog

Guest:

Topics:

  • EU Strategy in the South Caucasus
  • Attacks on the National Church
  • 2025 Local Election Politics

Episode 454 | Recorded: July 22, 2025