South Caucasus
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.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with South Caucasus.
Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh | Ukraine | FM Arabat Mirzoyan in Antalya | Ep #128 - Mar 13, 2022 [EP128]
Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022
Topics:
- Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh
- Update on Ukraine
- FM “Arabat” Mirzoyan in Antalya
Guest:
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html
Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh | Ukraine | FM Arabat Mirzoyan in Antalya | Ep #128 - Mar 13, 2022 [EP128]
Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, NATOGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022
Topics:
- Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh
- Update on Ukraine
- FM “Arabat” Mirzoyan in Antalya
Guest:
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html
Ukraine | Dismissing Generals | 2nd Normalization Meeting | New President | Ep #126 - Mar 6, 2022 [EP126]
Posted on Monday, Mar 7, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkey, China, Economy, Syria, Genocide, Iran, Azerbaijan, Geopolitics, Georgia, India, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, NATO | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 6, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:15 Ukraine War and Effects on Armenia
- 19:04 Armenia Shuffles Generals
- 25:15 Second Normalization Meeting
- 33:06 Armenian Parliament Elects New President
Guest:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 126 | Recorded: Sunday, March 6, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220306.html
Ukraine | Dismissing Generals | 2nd Normalization Meeting | New President | Ep #126 - Mar 6, 2022 [EP126]
Posted on Monday, Mar 7, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkey, China, Economy, Syria, Genocide, Iran, Azerbaijan, Geopolitics, Georgia, India, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, NATOGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 6, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:15 Ukraine War and Effects on Armenia
- 19:04 Armenia Shuffles Generals
- 25:15 Second Normalization Meeting
- 33:06 Armenian Parliament Elects New President
Guest:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 126 | Recorded: Sunday, March 6, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220306.html
Ukraine | Donetsk Luhansk, Artsakh | Aliyev in Moscow | Euronest in Yerevan | Ep #125 - Feb 27, 2022 [EP125]
Posted on Monday, Feb 28, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Iran, China, Artsakh, Genocide, Economy, Geopolitics, Lebanon, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 27, 2022
Topics:
- Developments in the Ukraine Crisis
- Donetsk, Luhansk. Artsakh?
- Aliyev in Moscow
- Euronest in Yerevan
Guest:
- Pietro Shakarian
- Yeghia Tashjian Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
Episode 125 | Recorded: Sunday, February 27, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220227.html
Ukraine | Donetsk Luhansk, Artsakh | Aliyev in Moscow | Euronest in Yerevan | Ep #125 - Feb 27, 2022 [EP125]
Posted on Monday, Feb 28, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Iran, China, Artsakh, Genocide, Economy, Geopolitics, Lebanon, Nagorno Karabakh, NATOGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 27, 2022
Topics:
- Developments in the Ukraine Crisis
- Donetsk, Luhansk. Artsakh?
- Aliyev in Moscow
- Euronest in Yerevan
Guest:
- Pietro Shakarian
- Yeghia Tashjian Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
Episode 125 | Recorded: Sunday, February 27, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220227.html
Armenia’s Regional Challenges with Tatev Hayrapetyan | Ep #124 - Feb 26, 2022 [EP124]
Posted on Saturday, Feb 26, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Artsakh, China, India, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: cog
Armeniaâs Regional Challenges - February 26, 2022 A Conversation with Tatev Hayrapetyan
Topics:
- Tatevâs Background and Entrance into Politics
- Armenia Going in the Wrong Direction?
- Aliyev and his Regime after the 44-Day War
- The Shushi and Moscow Agreements
- Armeniaâs Foreign Affairs Establishment
Guest:
- Tatev Hayrapetyan is an expert in Azerbaijani studies and holds a PhD in History. She was an MP at the 7th convocation of Armenia’s National Assembly, a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Armenian Delegation at the PACE. She is mainly focused on domestic
Armenia’s Regional Challenges with Tatev Hayrapetyan | Ep #124 - Feb 26, 2022 [EP124]
Posted on Saturday, Feb 26, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Artsakh, China, India, Nagorno KarabakhArmeniaâs Regional Challenges - February 26, 2022 A Conversation with Tatev Hayrapetyan
Topics:
- Tatevâs Background and Entrance into Politics
- Armenia Going in the Wrong Direction?
- Aliyev and his Regime after the 44-Day War
- The Shushi and Moscow Agreements
- Armeniaâs Foreign Affairs Establishment
Guest:
- Tatev Hayrapetyan is an expert in Azerbaijani studies and holds a PhD in History. She was an MP at the 7th convocation of Armenia’s National Assembly, a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Armenian Delegation at the PACE. She is mainly focused on domestic
Ukraine | Heritage Destruction | NKR Law | Arresting Arayik | IRI results | Ep #121 - Feb 20, 2022 [EP121]
Posted on Sunday, Feb 20, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, Ukraine, Iran, Artsakh, Economy, Genocide, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 20, 2022
Topics:
- Ukraine: Biden’s Tunnel of Crisis
- Azeri Commission to Destroy Armenian Heritage
- Artsakh Law on Occupied Territories
- Azerbaijan Wants to Arrest Artsakh President
- IRI Poll Results Revisited
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian TW/@hrant_m
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 121 | Recorded: Sunday, February 20, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220220.html