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.
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Nikol Pashinyan.
Episode 449 | Recorded: June 25, 2025
Episode 449 | Recorded: June 25, 2025
Episode 446 | Recorded: June 12, 2025
Episode 446 | Recorded: June 12, 2025
In this episode of Groong: Spotlight on Silence, we speak with Rafael Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Center for Political Rights about Armenia’s sweeping new surveillance law. Passed quietly in March 2025, the law grants police 24/7 access to camera networks across public institutions and allows for real-time facial recognition, raising deep concerns about privacy, political targeting, and unchecked state power. We explore what the law says, what it leaves out, and why international silence—despite clear risks to civil liberties—has been so striking.
Episode 444 | Recorded: June 9, 2025
Episode 444 | Recorded: June 9, 2025
Episode 442 | Recorded: June 2, 2025
Episode 442 | Recorded: June 2, 2025
Episode 441 | Recorded: May 28, 2025
Episode 441 | Recorded: May 28, 2025
INTERVIEW IN ARMENIAN / ՀԱՐՑԱԶՐՈՒՅՑ ՀԱՅԵՐԵՆ
Episode 440 | Recorded: March 9, 2025
Read MoreINTERVIEW IN ARMENIAN / ՀԱՐՑԱԶՐՈՒՅՑ ՀԱՅԵՐԵՆ
Episode 440 | Recorded: March 9, 2025
Read MoreEpisode 439 | Recorded: May 23, 2025
Episode 439 | Recorded: May 23, 2025
Episode 438 | Recorded: May 21, 2025
Episode 438 | Recorded: May 21, 2025
Episode 437 | Recorded: May 16, 2025
Episode 437 | Recorded: May 16, 2025
Episode 436 | Recorded: May 15, 2025
Episode 436 | Recorded: May 15, 2025
Episode 435 | Recorded: May 12, 2025
Episode 435 | Recorded: May 12, 2025
Episode 434 | Recorded: May 6, 2025
Episode 434 | Recorded: May 6, 2025
Episode 432 | Recorded: April 29, 2025
Episode 432 | Recorded: April 29, 2025
Episode 431 | Recorded: April 29, 2025
Episode 431 | Recorded: April 29, 2025
Episode 428 | Recorded: April 14, 2025
Episode 428 | Recorded: April 14, 2025
Episode 426 | Recorded: April 8, 2025
Episode 426 | Recorded: April 8, 2025
Episode 424 | Recorded: March 25, 2025
Episode 424 | Recorded: March 25, 2025
Episode 423 | Recorded: March 17, 2025
Episode 423 | Recorded: March 17, 2025
Episode 420 | Recorded: February 27, 2025
Episode 420 | Recorded: February 27, 2025
Episode 419 | Recorded: February 27, 2025
Episode 419 | Recorded: February 27, 2025
Episode 418 | Recorded: February 24, 2025
Episode 418 | Recorded: February 24, 2025
Episode 417 | Recorded: February 12, 2025
Episode 417 | Recorded: February 12, 2025
Episode 416 | Recorded: February 17, 2025
Episode 416 | Recorded: February 17, 2025
Episode 414 | Recorded: Valentineâs Day, February 14, 2025
Episode 414 | Recorded: Valentineâs Day, February 14, 2025
A New Détente? The Trump-Putin Call. Russia’s Strategic Choices. Russo-Armenian Relations. Russo-Azerbaijani Relations. Georgia’s Pragmatism.
Episode 413 | Recorded: February 11, 2025
Episode 413 | Recorded: February 11, 2025
Episode 412 | Recorded: February 9, 2025
Episode 412 | Recorded: February 9, 2025
Episode 410 | Recorded: February 3, 2025
Episode 410 | Recorded: February 3, 2025
Episode 408 | Recorded: January 29, 2025
Episode 408 | Recorded: January 29, 2025