The South Caucasus sits at the crossroads of Russia, Turkey, Iran, and the broader Middle East — a small region whose internal conflicts have consistently attracted the attention of great powers. The three states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia each navigate overlapping and often contradictory security relationships with Moscow, Washington, and Brussels, while managing unresolved territorial disputes and competing integration ambitions.
The 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war and Azerbaijan’s September 2023 offensive — which resulted in the ethnic cleansing of the entire Armenian population of Artsakh from Nagorno Karabakh — reshaped the regional order, accelerating Armenia’s pivot away from Russian security structures, deepening Azerbaijan’s strategic confidence, and leaving Georgia’s own geopolitical direction in flux following disputed elections and mass protests. The region has become a live testing ground for the limits of Russian influence, the reach of Western soft power, and the emerging role of powers like Turkey, Iran, India, and China.
Groong covers the South Caucasus comprehensively — not just Armenia’s domestic politics and security situation, but the regional dynamics that define the constraints and opportunities facing every state in the area. Episodes in this category examine bilateral relationships, multilateral formats, infrastructure corridors, and the geopolitical competition that makes the South Caucasus one of the most consequential small regions in Eurasian politics.
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 24, 2022
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Episode 133 | Recorded: Monday, April 25, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220424.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 24, 2022
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Episode 133 | Recorded: Monday, April 25, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220424.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 10, 2022
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00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:25 Opposition Protests in Yerevan: Thousands showed up to the opposition protest on Tuesday, outlining the red lines for Pashinyan’s dealings with Aliyev, ahead of the meeting in Brussels. Opposition says this is only the beginning, but have yet to indicate what their next steps will be.
00:12:35 Buying Bread from a Man in Brussels: Pashinyan went to Brussels this week to meet with Charles Michel and Ilham Aliyev. Did the Armenian PM firmly set his foot down and demand Azerbaijan
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 10, 2022
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00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:25 Opposition Protests in Yerevan: Thousands showed up to the opposition protest on Tuesday, outlining the red lines for Pashinyan’s dealings with Aliyev, ahead of the meeting in Brussels. Opposition says this is only the beginning, but have yet to indicate what their next steps will be.
00:12:35 Buying Bread from a Man in Brussels: Pashinyan went to Brussels this week to meet with Charles Michel and Ilham Aliyev. Did the Armenian PM firmly set his foot down and demand Azerbaijan
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 27, 2022
Episode 130 | Recorded: Monday, March 28, 2022
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 27, 2022
Episode 130 | Recorded: Monday, March 28, 2022
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 20, 2022
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Episode 129 | Recorded: Sunday, March 21, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220320.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 20, 2022
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Episode 129 | Recorded: Sunday, March 21, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220320.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022
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Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html