Last updated: May 29, 2026
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.
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with South Caucasus.
Episode 459 | Recorded: August 11, 2025
Episode 458 | Recorded: August 9, 2025
Episode 458 | Recorded: August 9, 2025
In this episode, former U.S. Army officer and military-political analyst Stanislav Krapivnik discusses the geopolitical fallout from the Trump-Pashinyan-Aliyev summit in Washington, which saw the announcement of a “peace” framework, the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, U.S. plans for a 99-year “Trump Corridor” across Armenia, and the dropping of Section 907 to allow arms sales to Azerbaijan. He examines Russia’s heavy focus on the Ukraine war at the expense of the South Caucasus, the loss of Russian leverage over Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the growing role of Turkey. Krapivnik warns of Read More
Episode 456 | Recorded: July 28, 2025
Episode 456 | Recorded: July 28, 2025
Episode 455 | Recorded: July 25, 2025
Episode 455 | Recorded: July 25, 2025
Episode 454 | Recorded: July 22, 2025
Episode 454 | Recorded: July 22, 2025
Episode 453 | Recorded: July 13, 2025
Episode 453 | Recorded: July 13, 2025
Episode 452 | Recorded: July 7, 2025
Episode 452 | Recorded: July 7, 2025
Episode 450 | Recorded: June 26, 2025
Episode 450 | Recorded: June 26, 2025
The 12-Day War. Where did Trump’s American 1st Go?
Episode 449 | Recorded: June 25, 2025
Episode 449 | Recorded: June 25, 2025
Episode 448 | Recorded: June 21, 2025
Episode 448 | Recorded: June 21, 2025
Episode 447 | Recorded: June 15, 2025
Episode 447 | Recorded: June 15, 2025
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, to analyze the geopolitical fallout from Israel’s surprise military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Rising Lion. We explore how the attacks may sabotage U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, shift Russia’s strategic calculus, and destabilize the South Caucasus—particularly Armenia’s Syunik province. We also examine the implications for Russia-Iran relations, the Zangezur corridor, and Azerbaijan’s military posture. Finally, we discuss Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, recent Read More
Episode 445 | Recorded: June 9, 2025
Episode 445 | Recorded: June 9, 2025
Episode 443 | Recorded: June 3, 2025
Episode 443 | Recorded: June 3, 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
Episode 439 | Recorded: May 23, 2025
Episode 439 | Recorded: May 23, 2025
Episode 437 | Recorded: May 16, 2025
Episode 437 | Recorded: May 16, 2025
Episode 434 | Recorded: May 6, 2025
Episode 434 | Recorded: May 6, 2025
Episode 433 | Recorded: May 2, 2025
Episode 433 | Recorded: May 2, 2025
What happened to Antiwar Voices. Color Revolutions as US Strategy. Armenia and Pipeline Geopolitics. And more!
Episode 432 | Recorded: April 29, 2025
Episode 432 | Recorded: April 29, 2025
Episode 427 | Recorded: April 6, 2025
Episode 427 | Recorded: April 6, 2025
In this Conversations on Groong episode, we speak with Professor Warwick Powell about the tectonic shifts in global trade, economics, and geopolitics. From Washington’s renewed tariff wars to China’s expanding influence through BRICS and infrastructure initiatives like the BRI, Powell shares his insights on the emerging multipolar order and the declining dominance of the U.S.-centric financial system.
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 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