Ilham Aliyev

Ilham Aliyev has led Azerbaijan since succeeding his father Heydar Aliyev in 2003, consolidating an authoritarian system built on hydrocarbon wealth and a foreign policy defined by strategic patience and the eventual use of force in the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict. Aliyev is one of the most frequently discussed figures in Groong’s coverage, appearing across more than 200 episodes.

The two defining events of Aliyev’s tenure in Groong’s coverage are the 44-Day War of 2020 and Azerbaijan’s military offensive of September 2023. The 2020 war — launched with Turkish military support — ended with Armenia’s defeat and the Russian-brokered ceasefire of November 9. Aliyev then used the three-year interregnum to progressively squeeze the remaining Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin Corridor blockade before the September 2023 offensive that expelled the entire Armenian population of Artsakh — what international human rights organizations have characterized as ethnic cleansing.

In Groong’s analysis, Aliyev’s post-2023 posture has continued to pressure Armenia on multiple fronts: demanding constitutional changes, pursuing the Zangezur Corridor through Syunik , and keeping Armenian prisoners of war — including former Artsakh leaders — in Azerbaijani detention. Episodes also examine Aliyev’s foreign policy relationships: his alliance with Turkey, Azerbaijan’s growing ties with Israel and other arms suppliers, his use of energy leverage over Europe, Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 in Baku in 2024, and Baku’s uneasy balance between Russia and the West.

Groong episodes covering Aliyev address the state of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process , the human rights situation inside Azerbaijan, and the broader implications of Azerbaijani regional ambitions for Armenian security.

35th Anniversary of the Sumgait Pogroms | Russia Warns the EU and Armenia | Armenian Azerbaijani Negotiations Continue | Ep 232 - Feb 26, 2023 [EP232]

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Artsakh Blockade, China, NATO, Syria, Genocide, Georgia | Series: wir

Guest:

Arthur Khachikyan

Topics:

35th Anniversary of the Sumgait Pogroms
Turkey after the Earthquake
One Year Anniversary of the War in Ukraine
Azerbaijan-Armenian Negotiations Continue
Personal topics

Episode 232 | Recorded: February 28, 2023

35th Anniversary of the Sumgait Pogroms | Russia Warns the EU and Armenia | Armenian Azerbaijani Negotiations Continue | Ep 232 - Feb 26, 2023 [EP232]

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Artsakh Blockade, China, NATO, Syria, Genocide, Georgia

Guest:

Arthur Khachikyan

Topics:

35th Anniversary of the Sumgait Pogroms
Turkey after the Earthquake
One Year Anniversary of the War in Ukraine
Azerbaijan-Armenian Negotiations Continue
Personal topics

Episode 232 | Recorded: February 28, 2023

Anna Abrahamian: Munich Security Conference | Artsakh [EP230]

Posted on Friday, Feb 24, 2023 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, China, Russia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, Ukraine, NATO, Turkey, Genocide, Iran, Israel, Economy, Syria, European Union, Georgia, Middle East | Series: cog, video

Today weâre going to talk with Anna Abrahamian about two or three topics.

The Munich Security Conference 2023.
Weâll touch on Russian president Putinâs state of the federation address.
The latest political developments in Artsakh.

Guest:

Anna Abrahamian , a geopolitical analyst who splits her time between Moscow and Athens. Having obtained training in international law, Anna has worked in such noteworthy institutions as the Defense Analyses Institute in Athens as well as the Crisis Group in Brussels. Today, Anna provides her analysis on geopolitics and Armenian politics to her

Anna Abrahamian: Munich Security Conference | Artsakh [EP230]

Today weâre going to talk with Anna Abrahamian about two or three topics.

The Munich Security Conference 2023.
Weâll touch on Russian president Putinâs state of the federation address.
The latest political developments in Artsakh.

Guest:

Anna Abrahamian , a geopolitical analyst who splits her time between Moscow and Athens. Having obtained training in international law, Anna has worked in such noteworthy institutions as the Defense Analyses Institute in Athens as well as the Crisis Group in Brussels. Today, Anna provides her analysis on geopolitics and Armenian politics to her

Suren Sargsyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 72 [EP228]

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 21, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Blockade, 168am, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Armenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, Middle East | Series: cog, video

Guests:

Suren Sargsyan , founder and a President at the Armenian Center for American Studies, a research center based in Yerevan.

“Pashinyanâs participation in Munich Security Conference didnât give anything to Armenia” - Suren Sargsyan

Topic:

Today is day 72 of the total blockade of Artsakh. For 72 days, the 120K citizens of Artsakh have not had the ability to enter or exit their country. They are deprived of the ability to visit Armenia or to receive guests from Armenia. With very limited supplies, they are forced to ration food with the help of food stamps in order to