Tag: 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.
Arman Grigoryan - Revolutionary Recklessness: Armenia After the War | Ep 546, May 15, 2026 [EP546]
Posted on Friday, May 15, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Revolutionary recklessness after 2020
- Armenia’s pivot away from Russia
- Artsakh’s surrender and strategic reorientation
- TRIPP, Syunik, and security guarantees
- Western backing, Armenian risk
Episode 546 | Recorded: May 13, 2026
#ArmanGrigoryan #Armenia #Russia #Pashinyan #Artsakh #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Geopolitics
Transcript: Arman Grigoryan - Revolutionary Recklessness: Armenia After the War | Ep 546, May 15, 2026 [EP546]
Posted on Friday, May 15, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, TranscriptDr. Arman Grigoryan joins Groong to discuss Armenia’s post-2020 foreign policy and his argument that Pashinyan’s government has replaced one failed project, maximalist claims over Artsakh, with another: a risky strategic pivot away from Russia and toward the West. The conversation examines “revolutionary recklessness,” the roots of the 2020 war, Armenia’s worsening ties with Russia, the surrender of Artsakh, TRIPP and Syunik, Western encouragement, and the absence of firm security guarantees. Grigoryan also considers whether Armenia is gaining real sovereignty or exposing itself to greater pressure from Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia.
Week in Review - EPC in Armenia, Russia, Parliamentary Election, Swiss Peace Initiative | Ep 545, May 10, 2026 [EP545]
Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics | Series: wir
Groong Links:
Topics:
- EPC fallout and Russia response
- Armenia-EU declaration controversies
- Pashinyan’s Artsakh campaign narrative
- Aliyev-Pashinyan tag-team messaging
- Swiss Peace Initiative
- Pollsters diverge on election forecasts
Episode 545 | Recorded: May 12, 2026
#WeekInReview #Armenia #SwissPeaceInitiative #NagornoKarabakh #Artsakh
Week in Review - EPC in Armenia, Russia, Parliamentary Election, Swiss Peace Initiative | Ep 545, May 10, 2026 [EP545]
Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | Category: Armenia, PoliticsGroong Links:
Topics:
- EPC fallout and Russia response
- Armenia-EU declaration controversies
- Pashinyan’s Artsakh campaign narrative
- Aliyev-Pashinyan tag-team messaging
- Swiss Peace Initiative
- Pollsters diverge on election forecasts
Episode 545 | Recorded: May 12, 2026
#WeekInReview #Armenia #SwissPeaceInitiative #NagornoKarabakh #Artsakh
Transcript: Week in Review - EPC in Armenia, Russia, Parliamentary Election, Swiss Peace Initiative | Ep 545, May 10, 2026 [EP545]
Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, TranscriptIn this Week in Review, Asbed and Hovik discuss the fallout from the EPC summit in Yerevan, Armenia’s role as a platform for anti-Russian messaging, and Putin’s warning about a possible “separation” if Armenia moves toward the EU. They examine the Armenia-EU declaration, focusing on TRIPP, Ukraine, hybrid threats, security cooperation, visa liberalization, and the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant. The episode then turns to Armenia’s election campaign, Pashinyan’s claim that Artsakh was “never ours,” Aliyev’s parallel messaging from occupied Artsakh, pressure on opposition figures, the Swiss Peace Initiative, and sharp divergence between election polls.
Anna Grigoryan - Armenia Alliance in the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election | Ep 544, May 11, 2026 [EP544]
Posted on Monday, May 11, 2026 | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Election campaign and opposition strategy
- EPC, EU-Armenia summit, and foreign influence
- Foreign policy, security, and regional risks
- Domestic priorities and election integrity
Episode 544 | Recorded: May 9, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaElections #HayastanDashinq #EPCSummit #TRIPP #Artsakh
Anna Grigoryan - Armenia Alliance in the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election | Ep 544, May 11, 2026 [EP544]
Posted on Monday, May 11, 2026Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Election campaign and opposition strategy
- EPC, EU-Armenia summit, and foreign influence
- Foreign policy, security, and regional risks
- Domestic priorities and election integrity
Episode 544 | Recorded: May 9, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaElections #HayastanDashinq #EPCSummit #TRIPP #Artsakh
EU Interference and Armenia's 2026 Elections | Ep 543, May 10, 2026 [EP543]
Posted on Sunday, May 10, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- EU role in Armenia’s elections
- Fact-checkers and political bias
- Dissent labeled as disinformation
- Lawsuits, pressure, and intimidation
- Censorship and social media control
Episode 543 | Recorded: May 7, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianElections #EU #Disinformation #FactChecking #Censorship #CivilSociety #FreeSpeech
EU Interference and Armenia's 2026 Elections | Ep 543, May 10, 2026 [EP543]
Posted on Sunday, May 10, 2026 | Category: Armenia, PoliticsGroong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- EU role in Armenia’s elections
- Fact-checkers and political bias
- Dissent labeled as disinformation
- Lawsuits, pressure, and intimidation
- Censorship and social media control
Episode 543 | Recorded: May 7, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianElections #EU #Disinformation #FactChecking #Censorship #CivilSociety #FreeSpeech