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.

Guest:

Topics:

  • US-Armenia Relations
  • Azerbaijan’s Maps and Claims
  • Azerbaijan Continues to Occupy Armenia
  • Internal Politics in Armenia

Episode 166 | Recorded: October 1 & 3, 2022

Guest:

Topics:

  • US-Armenia Relations
  • Azerbaijan’s Maps and Claims
  • Azerbaijan Continues to Occupy Armenia
  • Internal Politics in Armenia

Episode 166 | Recorded: October 1 & 3, 2022

Guests:

Topics:

  • Azerbaijani Aggression
  • Russia and CSTO
  • UN & International Reaction
  • War Communications (with Karen Vrtanesyan)
  • Nancy Pelosi’s Visit (with Suren Sargsyan)

Episode 165 | Recorded: Sunday, September 18, 2022

Guests:

Topics:

  • Azerbaijani Aggression
  • Russia and CSTO
  • UN & International Reaction
  • War Communications (with Karen Vrtanesyan)
  • Nancy Pelosi’s Visit (with Suren Sargsyan)

Episode 165 | Recorded: Sunday, September 18, 2022

From ‘revolution’ to war: deciphering Armenia’s populist foreign policy-making process Conversation with Dr. Vahram Ter-Matevosyan

Armenian News Network/Groong - September 12, 2022

Recently two AUA professors (Prof. Hovhannes Nikoghosyan and Prof. Vahram Ter-Matevosyan) published a paper in Taylor and Francis Online (TANDF) that analyzes the foreign policy decision making (FPDM) process of the Nikol Pashinyan administration, titled: “From ‘revolution’ to war: deciphering Armenia’s populist foreign policy-making process”. In this episode, we talk to one of the authors

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From ‘revolution’ to war: deciphering Armenia’s populist foreign policy-making process Conversation with Dr. Vahram Ter-Matevosyan

Armenian News Network/Groong - September 12, 2022

Recently two AUA professors (Prof. Hovhannes Nikoghosyan and Prof. Vahram Ter-Matevosyan) published a paper in Taylor and Francis Online (TANDF) that analyzes the foreign policy decision making (FPDM) process of the Nikol Pashinyan administration, titled: “From ‘revolution’ to war: deciphering Armenia’s populist foreign policy-making process”. In this episode, we talk to one of the authors

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Armenian News Network - Groong Week in Review - Sep 11, 2022

Topics:

  • Latest MPG and IRI Poll Results
  • What’s Up with the Armenian Economy?
  • US Armenia Relations
  • Geopolitical Developments

Index: 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:52 Guests 00:01:18 Topics 00:02:20 Greetings 00:02:24 MPG and IRI Poll Results 00:21:54 Armenian Economy Dynamics 00:37:13 US-Armenia Relations 00:48:06 Geopolitics, the War in Ukraine 00:55:14 Rants, Personal Statements 00:56:17 Good byes 00:56:27 Closing comments

Guest:

  • Hrant Mikaelian - TW/@hrant_m
  • Suren Sargsyan - TW/@S_A_Sargsyan

Guest(s):

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Armenian News Network - Groong Week in Review - Sep 11, 2022

Topics:

  • Latest MPG and IRI Poll Results
  • What’s Up with the Armenian Economy?
  • US Armenia Relations
  • Geopolitical Developments

Index: 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:52 Guests 00:01:18 Topics 00:02:20 Greetings 00:02:24 MPG and IRI Poll Results 00:21:54 Armenian Economy Dynamics 00:37:13 US-Armenia Relations 00:48:06 Geopolitics, the War in Ukraine 00:55:14 Rants, Personal Statements 00:56:17 Good byes 00:56:27 Closing comments

Guest:

  • Hrant Mikaelian - TW/@hrant_m
  • Suren Sargsyan - TW/@S_A_Sargsyan

Guest(s):

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Armenian News Network - Groong Week in Review - Sep 4, 2022

Topics:

  • September 2: Artsakh Independence Day
    • September 2 is a public holiday commemorating the day 31 years ago when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic declared independence from the USSR. Before 2020, this would be a festive holiday. This year, there were protests in both Yerevan and Stepanakert as well as visits to the gravesites of fallen heroes.
  • Developments in Geopolitics
    • There were two major meetings this week between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On August 30, the deputy PMs met in Moscow, then on August 31, Pashinyan and Aliyev met
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