Nikol Pashinyan
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Nikol Pashinyan has been a central figure in Groong’s coverage since the podcast launched in 2020. He rose to power in 2018 through a street movement that its proponents called the Velvet Revolution — though a substantial segment of Armenian political opinion views the events as a color revolution or externally influenced regime change operation rather than a spontaneous civic uprising. Under Pashinyan, Armenia has undergone one of the most turbulent periods in its post-independence history.
The most consequential event of Pashinyan’s tenure was Armenia’s defeat in the 44-Day War of 2020, which ended with the loss of most of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) under a Russian-brokered ceasefire. Pashinyan survived political pressure to resign and consolidated power through snap elections in 2021. The September 2023 Azerbaijani offensive that caused the ethnic cleansing of the entire Armenian population of Artsakh deepened the crisis of legitimacy — both internationally and domestically — as critics argue his concessions to Aliyev made the outcome inevitable.
Since 2022, Pashinyan has undertaken a significant reorientation of Armenian foreign policy: suspending participation in the CSTO, deepening ties with France, the EU, and the United States, and accepting Western security assistance including an EU monitoring mission on the Armenian border. This pivot away from Russia has defined Armenian geopolitics in the post-Artsakh period. Groong has covered every major step of this reorientation, including what it means for Armenia’s relationship with Iran, India, and other partners.
Domestically, Groong’s coverage of Pashinyan addresses his government’s confrontation with the Armenian Church, the arrest of opposition figures and political prisoners, the Tavush border delimitation controversy, and Civil Contract’s campaign in the June 2026 parliamentary elections. Critics covered extensively on Groong argue that Pashinyan has used his parliamentary supermajority to weaken democratic institutions and neutralize political opposition under the guise of reform.
Arega Hovsepyan - June 2026 Parliamentary Election in Armenia | Ep 537, Apr 30, 2026 [EP537]
Posted on Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Human Rights, Armenian News, Russia, Iran | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Strong Armenia and election dynamics
- New arrests and political pressure
- Artsakh Armenians and their rights
- TRIPP corridor and regional security
Episode 537 | Recorded: April 27, 2026
#Armenia #Artsakh #StrongArmenia #AregaHovsepyan #ArmenianPolitics #SouthCaucasus #TRIPP #ZangezurCorridor #Geopolitics
Arthur Martirosyan - Iran War, Effect on Armenia, June Parliamentary | Ep 536, Apr 26, 2026 [EP536]
Posted on Tuesday, Apr 28, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Armenian Church, Ukraine, Iran, Azerbaijan, Israel, USA, Turkey, Russia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Armenian News, Artsakh Blockade, Genocide, Georgia, European Union | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Iran War and TRIPP
- Armenian Genocide commemoration
- Peace narrative vs corridor reality
- Parliamentary election
Episode 536 | Recorded: April 27, 2026
Philippe Raffi Kalfayan - Monitoring the June 2026 Parliamentary Elections in Armenia | Ep 535, Apr 27, 2026 [EP535]
Posted on Monday, Apr 27, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Election, Armenian News, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Human Rights, Russia | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- IODA’s mission and election observation work
- Armenia’s June 2026 parliamentary election risks
- Questions around international observer impartiality
- Suspect voter lists, fraud, and transparency concerns
- Pressure on opposition figures and parties
Episode 535 | Recorded: April 24, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianElections #Election2026 #IODA #OSCE #ODIHR #Geopolitics #Democracy
Dmitry Suslov - War, Leverage, and Corridors, Russia’s View from All Fronts | Ep 534, Apr 25, 2026 [EP534]
Posted on Saturday, Apr 25, 2026 | Category: Geopolitics, Iran, World, Economy, Armenia, USA, China, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, BRICS, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, European Union, Turkey | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Iran war dynamics and Russiaâs role
- Ukraine war and Europeâs militarization
- Armeniaâs pivot and Russiaâs response
- Regional power balance
Episode 534 | Recorded: April 21, 2026
Warwick Powell - ThermoEconomics, Iran, and the New Geopolitical Economy | Ep 533, Apr 23, 2026 [EP533]
Posted on Thursday, Apr 23, 2026 | Category: Geopolitics, Iran, World, Economy, Armenia, USA, China, Russia, BRICS, Israel, Middle East, NATO | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- ThermoEconomics and global power
- Iran war and energy
- De-dollarization and sovereignty
- Armenia: AI data centers, SMRs, and imperialism
Episode 533 | Recorded: April 21, 2026
Dziunik Aghajanian - Iran War, Antalya Diplomatic Forum, Armenian Parliamentary Elections | Ep 532, Apr 19, 2026 [EP532]
Posted on Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026 | Category: Iran, Armenia, Politics, USA, Israel, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Georgia, Armenian Church, Artsakh Blockade, China, NATO | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
- Amb. Dziunik Aghajanian
Topics:
- Iran War Fears
- June Parliamentary Elections
- Attacks on the Armenian Church
Episode 532 | Recorded: April 20, 2026
#Armenia #Iran #IranWar #Hormuz #ArmeniaElections #SouthCaucasus
Hrant Mikaelian - US-Iran Talks, Orban Loses, Armenian Parliamentary Elections, MPG Polls | Ep 531, Apr 12, 2026 [EP531]
Posted on Thursday, Apr 16, 2026 | Category: Iran, Armenia, Election, Poll, Iran, Armenia, USA, Israel, Georgia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- US-Iran Talks in Pakistan
- Orban Loses Hungary Elections
- Armenian Parliamentary Elections
- Polls: MPG, IRI, ARAR, EVN
Episode 531 | Recorded: April 14, 2026
#Armenia #IranWar #ArmenianPolitics #HungaryElections #ArmeniaPolls
Hovik & Asbed - Iran War, April 2016 War, Armenia & Russia, Politics & Election | Ep 530, Apr 5, 2026 [EP530]
Posted on Wednesday, Apr 8, 2026 | Category: Iran, Armenia, Politics, Election, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, European Union, Russia, Georgia, Turkey | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Iran War Update
- 2016 April War
- Aftermath of Pashinyan in Moscow
- Domestic Politics & Election
Episode 530 | Recorded: April 7, 2026
#Groong #Armenia
Pietro Shakarian - Iran War, Armenia and Russia, June Parliamentary Elections | Ep 529, Apr 4, 2026 [EP529]
Posted on Saturday, Apr 4, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, BRICS, European Union, Ukraine, NATO | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- The Iran War and Its Global Impacts
- Armenia-Russia Relations
- Parliamentary Elections in Armenia
Episode 529 | Recorded on April 3, 2026
#IranIsraelWar #IsraelIranConflict #IsraelConflict #Armenia #MiddleEastCrisis #ArmeniaElections #PietroShakarian #TRIPP