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.

Hrant Mikaelian - Aliyev's “New” Demands, Fall of Syria, Georgia Post-Election Unrest, Civil Contract Disobedience | Ep 394 - Dec 8, 2024 [EP394]

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 10, 2024 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Economy, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Russia

Guest:

Topics:

  • Remembering the 1988 Earthquake in Spitak, Armenia
  • Aliyev’s “New” Demands
  • The Fall of Syria
  • Georgia’s Post-Election Unrest
  • Civil Contract Disobedience

Episode 394 | Recorded: December 9, 2024

Ivan Katchanovski on the Maidan Massacre, Ukraine War, and Implications | Ep 393 - Dec 9, 2024 [EP393]

Posted on Monday, Dec 9, 2024 | Category: Ukraine, Politics, Russia, Georgia, Armenia | Series: cog

Guest:

SUPPORT PROF. KATCHANOVSI’S WORK HERE: https://gofund.me/52b68e07

Topics:

  • The War in Ukraine
  • Trump’s “Eastern Approaches”
  • The Maidan Massacre and Its Legacy
  • Maidanization of Georgia?
  • Armenia in the Shadow of Ukraine

Episode 393 | Recorded: December 7, 2024

Ivan Katchanovski on the Maidan Massacre, Ukraine War, and Implications | Ep 393 - Dec 9, 2024 [EP393]

Posted on Monday, Dec 9, 2024 | Category: Ukraine, Politics, Russia, Georgia, Armenia

Guest:

SUPPORT PROF. KATCHANOVSI’S WORK HERE: https://gofund.me/52b68e07

Topics:

  • The War in Ukraine
  • Trump’s “Eastern Approaches”
  • The Maidan Massacre and Its Legacy
  • Maidanization of Georgia?
  • Armenia in the Shadow of Ukraine

Episode 393 | Recorded: December 7, 2024

Karen Kwiatkowski on Turkey, NATO, and the 44-Day War | Ep 392 - Dec 7, 2024 [EP392]

Posted on Saturday, Dec 7, 2024 | Category: Politics, Turkey, NATO, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, USA, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Iran, Middle East, Geopolitics, Syria | Series: cog, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Turkey’s Role in the 44-Day War
  • NATO and Intelligence Sharing
  • Global Power Rivalries
  • Lessons from U.S. Intelligence Practices

Episode 392 | Recorded: December 2, 2024

Karen Kwiatkowski on Turkey, NATO, and the 44-Day War | Ep 392 - Dec 7, 2024 [EP392]

Posted on Saturday, Dec 7, 2024 | Category: Politics, Turkey, NATO, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, USA, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Iran, Middle East, Geopolitics, Syria

Guest:

Topics:

  • Turkey’s Role in the 44-Day War
  • NATO and Intelligence Sharing
  • Global Power Rivalries
  • Lessons from U.S. Intelligence Practices

Episode 392 | Recorded: December 2, 2024

Transcript: Karen Kwiatkowski on Turkey, NATO, and the 44-Day War | Ep 392 - Dec 7, 2024 [EP392]

Posted on Saturday, Dec 7, 2024 | Category: Politics, Turkey, NATO, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, USA, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Iran, Middle East, Geopolitics, Syria, Transcript

Turkey’s Role in the 44-Day War. NATO and Intelligence Sharing. Global Power Rivalries. Lessons from U.S. Intelligence Practices.

Jeffrey Sachs - Escalation in Syria, COP29, Advice for Armenia | Ep 391 - Dec 5, 2024 [EP391]

Posted on Thursday, Dec 5, 2024 | Category: Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, USA, Turkey, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Iran, Ukraine, Israel, Middle East, Georgia | Series: cog, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Escalation in Syria
  • COP29 Summit
  • Can NATO save Armenia?

Episode 391 | Recorded: December 4, 2024

Jeffrey Sachs - Escalation in Syria, COP29, Advice for Armenia | Ep 391 - Dec 5, 2024 [EP391]

Posted on Thursday, Dec 5, 2024 | Category: Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, USA, Turkey, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Iran, Ukraine, Israel, Middle East, Georgia

Guest:

Topics:

  • Escalation in Syria
  • COP29 Summit
  • Can NATO save Armenia?

Episode 391 | Recorded: December 4, 2024

Transcript: Jeffrey Sachs - Escalation in Syria, COP29, Advice for Armenia | Ep 391 - Dec 5, 2024 [EP391]

Posted on Thursday, Dec 5, 2024 | Category: Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, USA, Turkey, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, Iran, Ukraine, Israel, Middle East, Georgia, Transcript

Escalation in Syria. COP29 Summit. Can NATO save Armenia?