Vladimir Putin
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Vladimir Putin has been the central figure in Russia’s management of the South Caucasus for over two decades. His administration brokered the November 9, 2020 ceasefire that ended the 44-Day War, deployed Russian peacekeepers to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), and positioned Russia as the indispensable mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan. That architecture has since collapsed: Russia failed to prevent the Lachin Corridor blockade , took no action during Azerbaijan’s September 2023 offensive that resulted in the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s entire Armenian population, and watched as Armenia systematically withdrew from Russian-led security and economic structures.
The Ukraine War , which Putin launched in February 2022, fundamentally altered Russia’s capacity and willingness to act in the South Caucasus. With military resources committed to Ukraine and diplomatic isolation from the West deepening, Moscow’s ability to enforce its South Caucasus commitments diminished sharply. Putin’s personal relationships with Aliyev and Pashinyan — and his apparent willingness to tolerate Azerbaijan’s territorial advances — have become a template for how great-power guarantees can unravel when the guarantor’s interests diverge from the guaranteed party’s needs.
Groong covers Putin’s role in South Caucasus affairs through direct analysis of Russian policy, tracking of the peace process mediation formats, and assessment of what Russian withdrawal from its traditional mediating role means for the durability of any future Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Vladimir Putin.
Tevan Poghosyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 9 [EP188]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Ukraine, China, Human Rights
âPashinyan, why don’t you go and shake Artak Beglaryanâs hand, like you did in Shushi in 2019â - Tevan Poghosyan
Guest:
- Tevan Poghosyan , is president of the International Center for Human Development in Yerevan. Mr. Poghosyan was an MP in the National Assembly between 2012 and 2017 from the Heritage party. From 1997 to 1999 he served as the Nagorno-Karabakh Public Affairs Office Director in Washington, D.C.
Topic:
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more
Read MoreHrant Mikaelian: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 8 [EP186]
Posted on Monday, Dec 19, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Ukraine, Human Rights, Georgia, European Union, Geopolitics, Israel | Series: cog, video
Guest:
- Hrant Mikaelian , a political scientist and multidisciplinary researcher in social sciences based in Yerevan. He is also a senior researcher at the Caucasus Institute.
“The full state-led attack against Artsakh and Armenia, which no-one in Europe condemned, was a case where the military solution worked. From 2020 onwards, many actors in the world see that you can attack and get away with it.”
Topic:
This is Day 8 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. 120 thousand people are effectively being held hostage by the regime in Baku.
Groong and 168 Hours are continuing our
Read MoreHrant Mikaelian: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 8 [EP186]
Posted on Monday, Dec 19, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Ukraine, Human Rights, Georgia, European Union, Geopolitics, IsraelGuest:
- Hrant Mikaelian , a political scientist and multidisciplinary researcher in social sciences based in Yerevan. He is also a senior researcher at the Caucasus Institute.
“The full state-led attack against Artsakh and Armenia, which no-one in Europe condemned, was a case where the military solution worked. From 2020 onwards, many actors in the world see that you can attack and get away with it.”
Topic:
This is Day 8 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. 120 thousand people are effectively being held hostage by the regime in Baku.
Groong and 168 Hours are continuing our
Read MoreArthur Khachikyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 6 [EP185]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 17, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Iran, Ukraine, NATO, Israel, China, Economy, India | Series: cog, video
Guest:
- Arthur Khachikyan , PhD is an International Relations expert from Stanford University, specializing in Intervention. He currently teaches at the Russian Armenian University in Yerevan.
Topic:
Weâre going on to Day 6 of the Artsakh Blockade by Azerbaijan, and Groong and 168 Hours are teaming up to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious issue, a major humanitarian crisis in Artsakh in progress.
“We somehow have this complex. We think weâre the sleeping beauty and the west is going to come and save us. And every time that it
Read MoreArthur Khachikyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 6 [EP185]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 17, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Iran, Ukraine, NATO, Israel, China, Economy, IndiaGuest:
- Arthur Khachikyan , PhD is an International Relations expert from Stanford University, specializing in Intervention. He currently teaches at the Russian Armenian University in Yerevan.
Topic:
Weâre going on to Day 6 of the Artsakh Blockade by Azerbaijan, and Groong and 168 Hours are teaming up to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious issue, a major humanitarian crisis in Artsakh in progress.
“We somehow have this complex. We think weâre the sleeping beauty and the west is going to come and save us. And every time that it
Read MoreLachin Blocked | Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Military Exercises | Syunik [EP182]
Posted on Sunday, Dec 11, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Ukraine, China, Geopolitics, Economy, Israel, Middle East, NATO, Syria, India | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- Lachin Corridor Blockade
- Continuing Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
- Turkish-Azerbaijani Military Exercises
- Travel Impressions from the region
Episode 182 | Recorded: December 13, 2022
Lachin Blocked | Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Military Exercises | Syunik [EP182]
Posted on Sunday, Dec 11, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Ukraine, China, Geopolitics, Economy, Israel, Middle East, NATO, Syria, IndiaGuest:
Topics:
- Lachin Corridor Blockade
- Continuing Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
- Turkish-Azerbaijani Military Exercises
- Travel Impressions from the region
Episode 182 | Recorded: December 13, 2022
Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Artsakh Reshuffle | Opposition [EP181]
Posted on Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 | Category: Politics, Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Russia, Iran, NATO, Ukraine, Economy, Middle East | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
- CSTO Debacle
- Lavrov Bombshell
- Lachin Corridor Blockaded
- Brussels Summit Canceled
- Artsakh President Lays off Government
- Parliamentary Opposition Fragmenting
Episode 181 | Recorded: December 6, 2022
Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Artsakh Reshuffle | Opposition [EP181]
Posted on Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 | Category: Politics, Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Russia, Iran, NATO, Ukraine, Economy, Middle EastGuest:
Topics:
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
- CSTO Debacle
- Lavrov Bombshell
- Lachin Corridor Blockaded
- Brussels Summit Canceled
- Artsakh President Lays off Government
- Parliamentary Opposition Fragmenting
Episode 181 | Recorded: December 6, 2022