Tag: Nikol Pashinyan
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Nikol Pashinyan has been a central figure in Groong’s coverage since the podcast launched. 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. His time in office has been defined by Armenia’s devastating loss in the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war, a fraught relationship with Russia, and a gradual reorientation of Armenian foreign policy toward the European Union and the United States.
Groong episodes featuring Pashinyan as a subject cover a wide range of topics: his political survival after the 2020 war, domestic opposition from the Hayastan Dashinq alliance, Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations, the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Nagorno Karabakh, and his government’s changing positions on CSTO membership and relations with Moscow.
Hrant Mikaelian - Iran War, Effect on Armenia, Sumgait Pogroms | Ep 520, Mar 1, 2026 [EP520]
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 4, 2026 | Category: iran, armenia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, USA, Israel, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, China
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- US and Israel launch war against Iran
- Decapitation strikes, mass civilian casualties
- Iran retaliates region-wide, war expands
- Armenia leadership silent
- Sumgait remembered
Episode 520 | Recorded: March 3, 2026
#IranWar #EpicFury #MiddleEastWar #ArmeniaForeignPolicy #Sumgait1988 #IranIsraelConflict
Dziunik Aghajanian - Iran War Fears, June Vote Rules, State-Church Clash | Ep 519, Feb 22, 2026 [EP519]
Posted on Thursday, Feb 26, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Israel, Genocide | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Iran War Fears
- June Parliamentary Elections
- Attacks on the Armenian Church
Episode 519 | Recorded: February 25, 2026
#Armenia #Iran #ArmeniaElections #ArmenianChurch #SouthCaucasus
Dziunik Aghajanian - Iran War Fears, June Vote Rules, State-Church Clash | Ep 519, Feb 22, 2026 [EP519]
Posted on Thursday, Feb 26, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Israel, GenocideGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Iran War Fears
- June Parliamentary Elections
- Attacks on the Armenian Church
Episode 519 | Recorded: February 25, 2026
#Armenia #Iran #ArmeniaElections #ArmenianChurch #SouthCaucasus
JD Vance in Armenia and Azerbaijan | Ep 517, Feb 15, 2026 [EP517]
Posted on Sunday, Feb 15, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Topics:
- Vance visit, protocol and optics
- Tsitsernakaberd tweet, âautocorrect diplomacyâ
- TRIPP corridor stake and sovereignty risks
- Nuclear SMR deal, costs and dependency
- Firebird AI project, power and value
- Drones, church silence, Baku charter and prisoners
Episode 517 | Recorded: February 13, 2026
#Groong #Armenia #JDVance #Tsitsernakaberd #TRIPP
JD Vance in Armenia and Azerbaijan | Ep 517, Feb 15, 2026 [EP517]
Posted on Sunday, Feb 15, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Armenian GenocideGroong Links:
Topics:
- Vance visit, protocol and optics
- Tsitsernakaberd tweet, âautocorrect diplomacyâ
- TRIPP corridor stake and sovereignty risks
- Nuclear SMR deal, costs and dependency
- Firebird AI project, power and value
- Drones, church silence, Baku charter and prisoners
Episode 517 | Recorded: February 13, 2026
#Groong #Armenia #JDVance #Tsitsernakaberd #TRIPP
Philippe Raffi Kalfayan - Europe and America, JD Vance in Armenia, Pashinyan vs. Church | Ep 516, Feb 8, 2026 [EP516]
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, USA, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Syria | Series: wir, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- A European View of America
- JD Vance in Armenia
- Pashinyan vs. The Armenian Church
- Europe and Armenia
Episode 516 | Recorded: February 9, 2026
Philippe Raffi Kalfayan - Europe and America, JD Vance in Armenia, Pashinyan vs. Church | Ep 516, Feb 8, 2026 [EP516]
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, USA, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, SyriaGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- A European View of America
- JD Vance in Armenia
- Pashinyan vs. The Armenian Church
- Europe and Armenia
Episode 516 | Recorded: February 9, 2026
James Carden & Pietro Shakarian - Global Affairs in the Age of Trump 2.0 | Ep 515, Feb 7, 2026 [EP515]
Posted on Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 | Category: USA, TRIPP, Iran, Armenia, Israel, Azerbaijan | Series: cog, video
Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Trump 2.0 and the âDonroe Doctrineâ
- Rules-Based Disorder?
- Iran vs. the âBig, Beautiful Armadaâ
- US Cohesion and Midterms
- JD Vance in the South Caucasus
Episode 515 | Recorded: February 6, 2026
James Carden & Pietro Shakarian - Global Affairs in the Age of Trump 2.0 | Ep 515, Feb 7, 2026 [EP515]
Posted on Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 | Category: USA, TRIPP, Iran, Armenia, Israel, AzerbaijanGroong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Trump 2.0 and the âDonroe Doctrineâ
- Rules-Based Disorder?
- Iran vs. the âBig, Beautiful Armadaâ
- US Cohesion and Midterms
- JD Vance in the South Caucasus
Episode 515 | Recorded: February 6, 2026