Nagorno Karabakh

Last updated: May 29, 2026

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict — also known as the Artsakh conflict, and in official Azerbaijani and international usage as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — has been the central subject of Groong’s coverage since the podcast launched. With more than 450 episodes addressing the dispute in whole or in part, this archive represents one of the most comprehensive English-language audio records of the conflict’s recent history.

At its core, the conflict was not simply a territorial dispute between two states. The Armenian population of Artsakh — the Republic of Artsakh — was asserting its right to self-determination, a principle recognized in international law and enshrined in the UN Charter. That claim stood in direct tension with Azerbaijan’s insistence on its territorial integrity and the inviolability of Soviet-era administrative borders. The failure to resolve that tension through diplomacy over three decades ultimately ended in war.

Groong covered the 44-Day War of September–November 2020, in which Azerbaijan retook large portions of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) with Turkish military support, and the November 9, 2020 ceasefire brokered by Russia. That ceasefire created an unstable status quo: the Republic of Artsakh continued to exist on a reduced territory under the protection of Russian peacekeepers, but Azerbaijan progressively tightened its grip. The nine-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor from December 2022 onward cut the region off from food, medicine, and fuel, creating a humanitarian crisis documented in real time on Groong.

Azerbaijan’s military offensive of September 19–20, 2023 ended Armenian governance of Nagorno-Karabakh entirely. Within three weeks, virtually the entire Armenian population of Artsakh at the time — some 120,000 people, the descendants of communities that had lived in the region for millenia — was driven from the Republic of Artsakh to Armenia. Human rights organizations and many governments characterized this as ethnic cleansing. The Azerbaijani government dissolved the Republic of Artsakh on January 1, 2024.

Groong’s ongoing coverage addresses the situation of Armenian prisoners of war still held in Baku, including former Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan , the right of return for the displaced population, ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations , and the prospects for accountability for what occurred.

Groong episodes that include this tag

Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Nagorno Karabakh.

Groong News Digest — Week of September 28–4, 2026

Posted on Sunday, Oct 4, 2026 | Category: Digest, News Digest

Armenia faces domestic political turmoil, border security breaches, and international pressure over the Azerbaijani serviceman incident and church persecution, while peace negotiations proceed amid regional tensions.

Groong Podcast Digest — Week of September 28–4, 2026

Posted on Sunday, Oct 4, 2026 | Category: Digest, Podcast Digest

Hovik and Asbed mark the sixth anniversary of the 44-Day War while examining Armenia’s deepening crisis over historical memory, escalating tensions between the state and the Armenian Church, international concern over election integrity, and Armenia’s isolated position as Azerbaijan demolishes Artsakh’s Armenian cultural heritage. Harut Sassounian examines Armenia’s identity crisis amid escalating conflict between Pashinyan’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, discussing Catholicos Garegin II’s statements at the May 2025 World Council of Churches  Read More

Harut Sassounian - Armenia’s Identity Crisis: Church, State, and Diaspora | Ep 592, Oct 2, 2026 [EP592]

Posted on Friday, Oct 2, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Church-State conflict and Garegin II
  • Bern, Artsakh, and national identity
  • Government plans to “reform” Church
  • Pashinyan’s meeting with All-ASA
  • Armenia-Diaspora relations after June 7

Episode 592 | Recorded: September 30, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #NikolPashinyan #Artsakh #ArmenianDiaspora #ChurchState #ArmenianIdentity

Harut Sassounian - Armenia’s Identity Crisis: Church, State, and Diaspora | Ep 592, Oct 2, 2026 [EP592]

Posted on Friday, Oct 2, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Church-State conflict and Garegin II
  • Bern, Artsakh, and national identity
  • Government plans to “reform” Church
  • Pashinyan’s meeting with All-ASA
  • Armenia-Diaspora relations after June 7

Episode 592 | Recorded: September 30, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #NikolPashinyan #Artsakh #ArmenianDiaspora #ChurchState #ArmenianIdentity

Transcript: Harut Sassounian - Armenia’s Identity Crisis: Church, State, and Diaspora | Ep 592, Oct 2, 2026 [EP592]

Posted on Friday, Oct 2, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Harut Sassounian about Armenia’s identity crisis amid escalating conflict between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. We discuss Catholicos Garegin II’s statements at the May 2025 World Council of Churches conference in Bern, Pashinyan’s public attacks on senior clergy, the constitutional role of the Armenian Church in national identity, and the deeper geopolitical questions surrounding Armenia-Diaspora relations following the June 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections.

A Tata Concert on the Anniversary of the War [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: History, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh

On the sixth anniversary of the 2020 war, thousands streamed to Yerablur while state TV aired a pop concert and no Civil Contract official appeared.

From Yerablur to Etchmiadzin: Armenia’s Battle Over Memory | Ep 591, Sep 27, 2026 [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • September 27 war anniversary and memory
  • Pashinyan escalates campaign against Church
  • PACE raises concerns over elections
  • Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan at UNGA
  • Witkoff reveals Turkish regional advisers
  • Opposition faces post-election divisions
  • Arrests and prosecutions over speech
  • France and Azerbaijan move toward normalization

Episode 591 | Recorded: September 27, 2026

From Yerablur to Etchmiadzin: Armenia’s Battle Over Memory | Ep 591, Sep 27, 2026 [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Topics:

  • September 27 war anniversary and memory
  • Pashinyan escalates campaign against Church
  • PACE raises concerns over elections
  • Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan at UNGA
  • Witkoff reveals Turkish regional advisers
  • Opposition faces post-election divisions
  • Arrests and prosecutions over speech
  • France and Azerbaijan move toward normalization

Episode 591 | Recorded: September 27, 2026

Transcript: From Yerablur to Etchmiadzin: Armenia’s Battle Over Memory | Ep 591, Sep 27, 2026 [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this week’s Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed mark the sixth anniversary of the 44-Day War and examine Armenia’s deepening crisis over historical memory and national identity. We discuss the Armenian government’s controversial response to September 27 commemorations, escalating tension between the state and the Armenian Church, international concern over election integrity, and Armenia’s isolated position as Azerbaijan demolishes Artsakh’s Armenian cultural heritage while Turkey advances regional integration plans.

Dziunik Aghajanian - From Moscow to Riyadh: New Fault Lines Around Armenia | Ep 590, Sep 25, 2026 [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Russian parliamentary election outcome
  • Middle East escalation and the Houthis
  • Armenia-Russia confrontation, including the 102nd base
  • Asset confiscation, anti-corruption, and Russian interests
  • Azerbaijan-Armenia “durable peace” tensions
  • Armenian opposition strategy

Episode 590 | Recorded: September 23, 2026

#Armenia #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #MiddleEast #UkraineWar #ArmenianPolitics #Geopolitics

Dziunik Aghajanian - From Moscow to Riyadh: New Fault Lines Around Armenia | Ep 590, Sep 25, 2026 [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Russian parliamentary election outcome
  • Middle East escalation and the Houthis
  • Armenia-Russia confrontation, including the 102nd base
  • Asset confiscation, anti-corruption, and Russian interests
  • Azerbaijan-Armenia “durable peace” tensions
  • Armenian opposition strategy

Episode 590 | Recorded: September 23, 2026

#Armenia #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #MiddleEast #UkraineWar #ArmenianPolitics #Geopolitics

Transcript: Dziunik Aghajanian - From Moscow to Riyadh: New Fault Lines Around Armenia | Ep 590, Sep 25, 2026 [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dziunik Aghajanian about shifting geopolitical pressures on Armenia following Russia’s September 2026 parliamentary elections. We discuss Putin’s strengthened domestic position, the Armenia-Russia confrontation over the 102nd base, asset confiscation and anti-corruption efforts targeting Russian interests, and how Middle East escalation and the Iran War reshape Armenia’s strategic environment amid ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process tensions.

Arthur Khachatryan - Opposition Strategy, TRIPP, and the Russian Base | Ep 589, Sep 23, 2026 [EP589]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Reflections on Independence Day
  • Post-election opposition strategy
  • Tigranashen and other territorial concessions
  • Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage
  • Azerbaijani control over TRIPP access
  • Future of Russia’s 102nd base
  • Asset confiscation and Russia tensions
  • Attacks and threats against the ARF

Episode 589 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #ArthurKhachatryan #ArmeniaAlliance #TRIPP #Tigranashen #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

 Read More

Arthur Khachatryan - Opposition Strategy, TRIPP, and the Russian Base | Ep 589, Sep 23, 2026 [EP589]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Reflections on Independence Day
  • Post-election opposition strategy
  • Tigranashen and other territorial concessions
  • Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage
  • Azerbaijani control over TRIPP access
  • Future of Russia’s 102nd base
  • Asset confiscation and Russia tensions
  • Attacks and threats against the ARF

Episode 589 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #ArthurKhachatryan #ArmeniaAlliance #TRIPP #Tigranashen #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

 Read More

Armenia at 35: Independence, Loss, and Unfinished Wars | Ep 588, Sep 20, 2026 [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Armenia marks 35 years independent
  • Artsakh remembered three years later
  • Armenian POWs remain in Baku
  • Ukraine strikes deep inside Russia
  • Turkey-Azerbaijan deepen strategic coordination
  • Citizenship costs rise sharply
  • Government opacity over war casualties

Episode 588 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #UkraineWar #ArmenianPOWs #Azerbaijan #Turkey #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

Armenia at 35: Independence, Loss, and Unfinished Wars | Ep 588, Sep 20, 2026 [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Topics:

  • Armenia marks 35 years independent
  • Artsakh remembered three years later
  • Armenian POWs remain in Baku
  • Ukraine strikes deep inside Russia
  • Turkey-Azerbaijan deepen strategic coordination
  • Citizenship costs rise sharply
  • Government opacity over war casualties

Episode 588 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #UkraineWar #ArmenianPOWs #Azerbaijan #Turkey #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

Artsakh Declared Independence Before Azerbaijan Did [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: History, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan

Asbed lays out how Artsakh legally became a republic, following all Soviet and international laws, before Azerbaijan declared its own independence.

Why Won't They Release the War Dead's Names? [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Politics, Human Rights, Armenia

Hovik demands the names of those killed in the 2020 war and after, arguing the government’s silence hides a story of betrayal.

Transcript: Armenia at 35: Independence, Loss, and Unfinished Wars | Ep 588, Sep 20, 2026 [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this week’s Groong podcast episode, Hovik and Asbed reflect on Armenia’s 35th independence anniversary amid ongoing regional tensions and unresolved conflicts. We discuss the state of Armenian statehood three years after the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, Armenian prisoners of war still held in Baku, rising citizenship costs, government opacity over war casualties, and deepening Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic coordination.

Transcript: Arthur Khachatryan - Opposition Strategy, TRIPP, and the Russian Base | Ep 589, Sep 23, 2026 [EP589]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur Khachatryan, MP from Armenia Alliance, about opposition strategy following the June 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We discuss the Established Opposition’s plans to counter Pashinyan’s agenda, territorial concessions including Tigranashen, Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage, the role of TRIPP and Azerbaijan’s control over transit corridors, the future of Russia’s 102nd military base, and escalating threats against opposition parties.

Hrant Mikaelian - Chips for TRIPP, Education Crisis, and Economic Risks | Ep 586, Sep 17, 2026 [EP586]

Posted on Friday, Sep 18, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • AI chips tied to TRIPP diplomacy
  • Data centers raise major energy questions
  • Armenia faces severe education outcomes
  • Government reforms versus poor student performance
  • Azerbaijan targets Armenian heritage in Artsakh
  • Gas dependence exposes Armenia to shocks

Episode 586 | Recorded: September 16, 2026

#Armenia #TRIPP #ArtificialIntelligence #EducationCrisis #Artsakh #EnergySecurity #SouthCaucasus #HrantMikaelian

Hrant Mikaelian - Chips for TRIPP, Education Crisis, and Economic Risks | Ep 586, Sep 17, 2026 [EP586]

Posted on Friday, Sep 18, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • AI chips tied to TRIPP diplomacy
  • Data centers raise major energy questions
  • Armenia faces severe education outcomes
  • Government reforms versus poor student performance
  • Azerbaijan targets Armenian heritage in Artsakh
  • Gas dependence exposes Armenia to shocks

Episode 586 | Recorded: September 16, 2026

#Armenia #TRIPP #ArtificialIntelligence #EducationCrisis #Artsakh #EnergySecurity #SouthCaucasus #HrantMikaelian

Transcript: Hrant Mikaelian - Chips for TRIPP, Education Crisis, and Economic Risks | Ep 586, Sep 17, 2026 [EP586]

Posted on Friday, Sep 18, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Hrant Mikaelian about chip diplomacy, the TRIPP framework, and Armenia’s structural economic vulnerabilities. We discuss how the U.S. fast-tracked advanced AI exports to secure the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process agreement, the massive energy demands of the planned Firebird data center, Armenia’s deepening education crisis, and the risks of energy dependence as the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant approaches shutdown.

Azerbaijan Mocks Armenian Manuscript With Blank Pages [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Artsakh, Culture, Azerbaijan

At Gandzasar, an Azerbaijani official held up a blank-paged replica of an Armenian manuscript and called it empty, as European diplomats smiled.

France Launched Azerbaijan's Satellites, Used Against Armenia [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Politics, Technology, Azerbaijan

As Pashinyan attends a Paris space summit, Hovik notes France helped build and launch Azerbaijan’s satellites, later used against Armenia in war.

Gandzasar Erasure, Chips for Territory, Russian Money & Pashinyan in Space | Ep 585, Sep 13, 2026 [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • 2022 border war and its legacy
  • Hajiyev spouts hate, EU reps giggle
  • Armenia’s muted response to Azerbaijan
  • TRIPP, NVIDIA chips, and sovereignty
  • Pashinyan’s Paris space summit visit
  • Russian money flows through Armenia
  • Russia-Iran coordination in South Caucasus
  • Political prosecutions and Grigoryan reshuffle

Episode 585 | Recorded: September 14, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #Gandzasar #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #Russia #Iran

Gandzasar Erasure, Chips for Territory, Russian Money & Pashinyan in Space | Ep 585, Sep 13, 2026 [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Topics:

  • 2022 border war and its legacy
  • Hajiyev spouts hate, EU reps giggle
  • Armenia’s muted response to Azerbaijan
  • TRIPP, NVIDIA chips, and sovereignty
  • Pashinyan’s Paris space summit visit
  • Russian money flows through Armenia
  • Russia-Iran coordination in South Caucasus
  • Political prosecutions and Grigoryan reshuffle

Episode 585 | Recorded: September 14, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #Gandzasar #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #Russia #Iran

The EU's 'Diverging Narratives' Is Both-Sides-ism [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, European Union

EU Special Representative Magdalena Grono called the Gandzasar dispute a matter of “deeply diverging views and narratives.” The hosts call it false equivalence.

Transcript: Gandzasar Erasure, Chips for Territory, Russian Money & Pashinyan in Space | Ep 585, Sep 13, 2026 [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed examine the fourth anniversary of the September 2022 border war, Azerbaijan’s ongoing occupation of Armenian territory, and Pashinyan’s political trajectory toward recognizing Artsakh’s loss. We discuss Hajiyev’s inflammatory rhetoric, Armenia’s muted diplomatic response, TRIPP and semiconductor sovereignty, Pashinyan’s attendance at a Paris space summit, Russian financial flows through Armenia, and Russia-Iran coordination in the South Caucasus.

Artsakh at 35: A Glorious Day Turned to Mourning [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026 | Category: Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, History

On the 35th anniversary of Artsakh’s independence, the hosts mourn a homeland emptied of its people and call it the cause of every Armenian generation.

Artsakh Remembered, SCO Theater, Russian Signals, and the Cucumber Paradox | Ep 584, Sep 6, 2026 [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026 | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Artsakh remembered, its cause unresolved
  • Putin puts Russia’s military base on the table
  • Church prosecutions begin to unravel
  • EU trade headlines look better than the deal
  • Army indiscipline fuels mounting non-combat deaths
  • New political pressures before local elections

Episode 584 | Recorded: Sep 6, 2026

#Artsakh #Armenia #NagornoKarabakh #SouthCaucasus #SCO #Russia #EuropeanUnion #ArmenianPolitics

Artsakh Remembered, SCO Theater, Russian Signals, and the Cucumber Paradox | Ep 584, Sep 6, 2026 [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026

Topics:

  • Artsakh remembered, its cause unresolved
  • Putin puts Russia’s military base on the table
  • Church prosecutions begin to unravel
  • EU trade headlines look better than the deal
  • Army indiscipline fuels mounting non-combat deaths
  • New political pressures before local elections

Episode 584 | Recorded: Sep 6, 2026

#Artsakh #Armenia #NagornoKarabakh #SouthCaucasus #SCO #Russia #EuropeanUnion #ArmenianPolitics

The NSC Chief Who Once Called Concessions 'Betrayal' [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026 | Category: Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia

The hosts read Arman Grigoryan’s 2012 words calling concessions to Azerbaijan a betrayal, then reveal he was born in Martuni, Artsakh.

Transcript: Artsakh Remembered, SCO Theater, Russian Signals, and the Cucumber Paradox | Ep 584, Sep 6, 2026 [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026 | Category: Transcript

In this week’s Groong episode, Hovik and Asbed review September 2026 developments across Armenia and the South Caucasus. We examine Artsakh’s remembered independence declaration on September 2, 1991, and its unresolved cause following the 2023 ethnic cleansing; Putin’s signaling on Russia’s military base presence; ongoing Armenian Church prosecutions; EU trade negotiations; mounting non-combat military deaths; and political pressures ahead of local elections. We also analyze U.S. envoy Witkoff and Kushner’s diplomatic shuttle through Moscow and Kyiv.

Groong News Digest — Week of August 31–6, 2026

Posted on Sunday, Sep 6, 2026 | Category: Digest, News Digest

Armenia navigates complex regional diplomacy as Pashinyan meets Putin on EU ties, discusses TRIPP corridor implementation, while prisoner rights concerns and domestic political tensions escalate.

Groong Podcast Digest — Week of August 31–6, 2026

Posted on Sunday, Sep 6, 2026 | Category: Digest, Podcast Digest

Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia’s precarious position at the SCO Summit amid Russian escalation in Ukraine, unprecedented Western diplomatic visits to Moscow, renewed US-Iran conflict, and Pashinyan’s meetings with regional leaders while former Artsakh presidents languish in detention and selective political prosecutions continue. Suren Sargsyan examines Washington’s unclear endgame in the Iran War, Russia’s military presence in Armenia amid great-power competition, and the competing U.S. and European stakes in TRIPP and Central Asian transit routes.

Suren Sargsyan - Central Asia, TRIPP, Iran, and Armenia in the New Great Game | Ep 583, Sep 5, 2026 [EP583]

Posted on Saturday, Sep 5, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Geopolitics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • U.S. objectives in the Iran war
  • Russia’s 102nd base in Armenia
  • Pashinyan’s sovereignty policy contradictions
  • Great-power rivalry across Central Asia
  • U.S. and EU interests in TRIPP
  • Armenia’s place in Eurasian competition

Episode 583 | Recorded: Sep 4, 2026

#Armenia #IranWar #TRIPP #CentralAsia #Russia #UnitedStates #Geopolitics #SouthCaucasus

Suren Sargsyan - Central Asia, TRIPP, Iran, and Armenia in the New Great Game | Ep 583, Sep 5, 2026 [EP583]

Posted on Saturday, Sep 5, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Geopolitics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • U.S. objectives in the Iran war
  • Russia’s 102nd base in Armenia
  • Pashinyan’s sovereignty policy contradictions
  • Great-power rivalry across Central Asia
  • U.S. and EU interests in TRIPP
  • Armenia’s place in Eurasian competition

Episode 583 | Recorded: Sep 4, 2026

#Armenia #IranWar #TRIPP #CentralAsia #Russia #UnitedStates #Geopolitics #SouthCaucasus

Transcript: Suren Sargsyan - Central Asia, TRIPP, Iran, and Armenia in the New Great Game | Ep 583, Sep 5, 2026 [EP583]

Posted on Saturday, Sep 5, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Suren Sargsyan about the Iran War and great power competition for Armenia’s strategic position. We discuss Washington’s unclear endgame in the conflict with Iran, the future of Russia’s military presence in Armenia and CSTO membership, and competing U.S. and European interests in new east-west transit routes through Armenia and Central Asia amid broader geopolitical rivalries.

Armenia at the SCO Summit as Ukraine and Iran Wars Intensify | Ep 582, Aug 30, 2026 [EP582]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 2, 2026 | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Russia Escalates War Against Ukraine
  • Unprecedented Western Visits to Moscow
  • US-Iran War Flares Again
  • All Artsakh Presidents Behind Bars
  • Armenia at the SCO Summit
  • Pashinyan Meets Aliyev, Putin, Modi
  • Political Persecutions and Selective Justice

Episode 582 | Recorded: September 1, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #UkraineWar #IranWar #SCO #Pashinyan #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

Armenia at the SCO Summit as Ukraine and Iran Wars Intensify | Ep 582, Aug 30, 2026 [EP582]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 2, 2026

Topics:

  • Russia Escalates War Against Ukraine
  • Unprecedented Western Visits to Moscow
  • US-Iran War Flares Again
  • All Artsakh Presidents Behind Bars
  • Armenia at the SCO Summit
  • Pashinyan Meets Aliyev, Putin, Modi
  • Political Persecutions and Selective Justice

Episode 582 | Recorded: September 1, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #UkraineWar #IranWar #SCO #Pashinyan #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

Transcript: Armenia at the SCO Summit as Ukraine and Iran Wars Intensify | Ep 582, Aug 30, 2026 [EP582]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 2, 2026 | Category: Transcript

In this week’s Groong news roundup, Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia’s position at the SCO Summit amid intensifying global conflicts. We discuss Russia’s escalation in Ukraine, unprecedented Western diplomatic visits to Moscow, the renewed US-Iran War, and Pashinyan’s meetings with regional and global leaders including Aliyev and Putin. We also address the ongoing persecution of former Artsakh leaders and the selective justice targeting Armenia’s political landscape.

Arthur Martirosyan - The Fourth Republic and the Politics of Erasure | Ep 581, Aug 29, 2026 [EP581]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s Revenge Against Opposition
  • Kocharyan Arrested, Family Under State Pressure
  • Opposition Strategy Under Repression
  • Pashinyan’s Five-Year Transformation Agenda
  • Government Assault on Armenian Church
  • Tigranashen and Border Concessions
  • TRIPP, Turan, and Central Asia

Episode 581 | Recorded: August 28, 2026

#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition

Arthur Martirosyan - The Fourth Republic and the Politics of Erasure | Ep 581, Aug 29, 2026 [EP581]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s Revenge Against Opposition
  • Kocharyan Arrested, Family Under State Pressure
  • Opposition Strategy Under Repression
  • Pashinyan’s Five-Year Transformation Agenda
  • Government Assault on Armenian Church
  • Tigranashen and Border Concessions
  • TRIPP, Turan, and Central Asia

Episode 581 | Recorded: August 28, 2026

#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition

Ambassador Jack Matlock - Did the West Fumble the Post-Cold War Peace? | Ep 580, Aug 28, 2026 [EP580]

Posted on Friday, Aug 28, 2026 | Category: Armenia, US, Russia, Geopolitics, History, Soviet Armenia, USSR | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Recollections from Soviet South Caucasus
  • Why the Soviet Union collapsed
  • How the Cold War ended
  • Reagan and Gorbachev’s diplomacy
  • America’s post-Cold War triumphalism
  • NATO expansion and Russian backlash
  • Great-power rivalry in the Caucasus
  • Armenia’s geopolitical choices today

Episode 580 | Recorded: Aug 27, 2026

#JackMatlock #ColdWar #SovietUnion #Reagan #Gorbachev #NATO #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Armenia

Ambassador Jack Matlock - Did the West Fumble the Post-Cold War Peace? | Ep 580, Aug 28, 2026 [EP580]

Posted on Friday, Aug 28, 2026 | Category: Armenia, US, Russia, Geopolitics, History, Soviet Armenia, USSR

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Recollections from Soviet South Caucasus
  • Why the Soviet Union collapsed
  • How the Cold War ended
  • Reagan and Gorbachev’s diplomacy
  • America’s post-Cold War triumphalism
  • NATO expansion and Russian backlash
  • Great-power rivalry in the Caucasus
  • Armenia’s geopolitical choices today

Episode 580 | Recorded: Aug 27, 2026

#JackMatlock #ColdWar #SovietUnion #Reagan #Gorbachev #NATO #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Armenia

Transcript: Arthur Martirosyan - The Fourth Republic and the Politics of Erasure | Ep 581, Aug 29, 2026 [EP581]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur G. Martirosyan about Armenia’s post-election political crisis and Pashinyan’s governance agenda. We discuss the arrest of opposition leaders including Robert Kocharyan, attacks on the Armenian Church, border concessions including Tigranashen, the TRIPP corridor, and how the Established Opposition is strategizing under state repression in the Fourth Republic.

Transcript: Ambassador Jack Matlock - Did the West Fumble the Post-Cold War Peace? | Ep 580, Aug 28, 2026 [EP580]

Posted on Friday, Aug 28, 2026 | Category: Armenia, US, Russia, Geopolitics, History, Soviet Armenia, USSR, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Ambassador Jack Matlock, the last US Ambassador to the Soviet Union, about whether the West missed a historic opportunity to integrate Russia into Western security architecture after the Cold War. We discuss the internal collapse of the Soviet Union, Reagan-Gorbachev diplomacy, NATO expansion and Russian backlash, and how Cold War-era decisions shape Armenia’s geopolitical choices today, including Matlock’s firsthand observations of Soviet Armenia during glasnost and the Nagorno Karabakh movement.

Dziunik Aghajanian - Armenia Between Iran, Russia & the New Middle East Order | Ep 579, Aug 22, 2026 [EP579]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 22, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Significance of the Mecca joint defense pact
  • Iran warns Armenia over TRIPP
  • Aliyev advances plans through Syunik
  • Armenia faces growing energy dependence
  • Russia sets deadlines for Yerevan
  • Opposition tests its parliamentary strategy

Episode 579 | Recorded: August 18, 2026

#Armenia #SouthCaucasus #Mecca #TRIPP #Iran #Russia #Azerbaijan #EAEU #CSTO

Dziunik Aghajanian - Armenia Between Iran, Russia & the New Middle East Order | Ep 579, Aug 22, 2026 [EP579]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 22, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Significance of the Mecca joint defense pact
  • Iran warns Armenia over TRIPP
  • Aliyev advances plans through Syunik
  • Armenia faces growing energy dependence
  • Russia sets deadlines for Yerevan
  • Opposition tests its parliamentary strategy

Episode 579 | Recorded: August 18, 2026

#Armenia #SouthCaucasus #Mecca #TRIPP #Iran #Russia #Azerbaijan #EAEU #CSTO

Transcript: Dziunik Aghajanian - Armenia Between Iran, Russia & the New Middle East Order | Ep 579, Aug 22, 2026 [EP579]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 22, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dziunik Aghajanian about Armenia’s precarious position between Iran, Russia, and emerging Middle East power shifts. We discuss the Mecca joint defense pact signed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, Iran’s warnings over TRIPP, Ilham Aliyev’s militarization plans in Nakhijevan, Armenia’s growing energy dependence, Russian deadlines for Yerevan, and how the Established Opposition is testing its parliamentary strategy ahead of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election.

Aliyev's TRIPP Play: Azerbaijani Teams Scoping Syunik, Threatening Armenian Nuclear Power [EP578]

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 19, 2026 | Category: Azerbaijan, Geopolitics, Armenia

Aliyev revealed that Azerbaijani technical teams have surveyed transmission line routes through Syunik for TRIPP, and he is now signaling that Armenia’s nuclear power plant could become a future demand.

Aliyev’s TRIPP, Russia’s Deadline, Iran’s Warning | Ep 578, Aug 16, 2026 [EP578]

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 19, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • US-Iran War Risks Return
  • Armenia Faces Regional Spillover Risks
  • Russia Pressures Armenia Over Western Pivot
  • TRIPP Deepens Security and Energy Risks
  • Domestic Politics Grow More Confrontational
  • Arrests and Prosecutions Fuel Repression Claims

Episode 578 | Recorded: August 17, 2026

#Armenia #IranWar #TRIPP #Syunik #SouthCaucasus #RussiaArmenia #Nakhichevan #ArmenianPolitics

Aliyev’s TRIPP, Russia’s Deadline, Iran’s Warning | Ep 578, Aug 16, 2026 [EP578]

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 19, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics

Topics:

  • US-Iran War Risks Return
  • Armenia Faces Regional Spillover Risks
  • Russia Pressures Armenia Over Western Pivot
  • TRIPP Deepens Security and Energy Risks
  • Domestic Politics Grow More Confrontational
  • Arrests and Prosecutions Fuel Repression Claims

Episode 578 | Recorded: August 17, 2026

#Armenia #IranWar #TRIPP #Syunik #SouthCaucasus #RussiaArmenia #Nakhichevan #ArmenianPolitics

Transcript: Aliyev’s TRIPP, Russia’s Deadline, Iran’s Warning | Ep 578, Aug 16, 2026 [EP578]

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 19, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Transcript

In this episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discuss Armenia’s precarious position amid escalating Iran War risks, Russia’s December ultimatum on the Eurasian Economic Union, and deepening security threats from TRIPP. We examine how a broader US-Iran conflict could devastate Armenia through refugee flows and logistics collapse, why Pashinyan’s EAEU defiance has triggered Russian pressure, and what frozen CSTO membership actually means for Armenian security.

Pashinyan’s Church War, the Russia-EU Choice, and TRIPP | Ep 576, Aug 9, 2026 [EP576]

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Alliance
  • Iran War Update
  • Catholicos on Trial
  • EAEU Meeting in Cholpon-Ata
  • Corruption & Persecutions

Episode 576 | Recorded: August 10, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #TRIPP #ArmeniaRussia #SouthCaucasus #Groong

Pashinyan’s Church War, the Russia-EU Choice, and TRIPP | Ep 576, Aug 9, 2026 [EP576]

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics

Topics:

  • Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Alliance
  • Iran War Update
  • Catholicos on Trial
  • EAEU Meeting in Cholpon-Ata
  • Corruption & Persecutions

Episode 576 | Recorded: August 10, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #TRIPP #ArmeniaRussia #SouthCaucasus #Groong

Transcript: Pashinyan’s Church War, the Russia-EU Choice, and TRIPP | Ep 576, Aug 9, 2026 [EP576]

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Transcript

In this week’s Groong episode, the hosts examine Pashinyan’s confrontation with the Armenian Church, Armenia’s strategic positioning between Russia and the EU, and the geopolitical implications of TRIPP. We discuss the trial of Catholicos Garegin II, Iran’s military leadership realignment, the Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense pact, and how these shifts reshape Armenia’s role in the South Caucasus.

Hrant Mikaelian - Armenia’s Western Pivot: Strategy or Wishful Thinking? | Ep 575, Aug 8, 2026 [EP575]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 8, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • New Armenian Parliament
  • Armenia-Russia-EAEU Relations
  • EUropean Aid for Armenia
  • Church & National Identity
  • Armenian Economy

Episode 575 | Recorded: August 4, 2026

#Armenia #Russia #EuropeanUnion #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaRussia #ArmenianChurch #SouthCaucasus #Geopolitics

Hrant Mikaelian - Armenia’s Western Pivot: Strategy or Wishful Thinking? | Ep 575, Aug 8, 2026 [EP575]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 8, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • New Armenian Parliament
  • Armenia-Russia-EAEU Relations
  • EUropean Aid for Armenia
  • Church & National Identity
  • Armenian Economy

Episode 575 | Recorded: August 4, 2026

#Armenia #Russia #EuropeanUnion #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaRussia #ArmenianChurch #SouthCaucasus #Geopolitics