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.
ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 23, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:04 President Armen Sarkissian Resigns
- 20:46 Russia-NATO Standoff over Ukraine
- 47:55 Vahan Kerobyan, Minister of Comedy
Guests:
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan twitter.com/HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian twitter.com/qubriq
Episode 114 | Recorded: Sunday, January 25, 2022
ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 23, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:04 President Armen Sarkissian Resigns
- 20:46 Russia-NATO Standoff over Ukraine
- 47:55 Vahan Kerobyan, Minister of Comedy
Guests:
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan twitter.com/HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian twitter.com/qubriq
Episode 114 | Recorded: Sunday, January 25, 2022
Color Me Kazakhstan | Expectations From 1st Normalization Meeting on Friday | Ep #112 - Jan 9, 2022 [EP112]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 11, 2022 | Category: Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Iran, Georgia, Geopolitics, USA, China, Human Rights, Economy, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO, Syria, India | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 9, 2022
Topics:
- Color Me Kazakhstan
- Turkish-Armenian Normalization Meeting on January 14
Guests:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
- Pietro Shakarian
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
Episode 112 | Recorded: Sunday, January 9, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220109.html
Color Me Kazakhstan | Expectations From 1st Normalization Meeting on Friday | Ep #112 - Jan 9, 2022 [EP112]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 11, 2022 | Category: Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Iran, Georgia, Geopolitics, USA, China, Human Rights, Economy, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO, Syria, IndiaANN/Groong Week in Review - January 9, 2022
Topics:
- Color Me Kazakhstan
- Turkish-Armenian Normalization Meeting on January 14
Guests:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
- Pietro Shakarian
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
Episode 112 | Recorded: Sunday, January 9, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220109.html
Turkish Armenian Normalization - Conversation with Harut Sassounian | Ep #111 - Jan 9, 2022 [EP111]
Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Genocide, Russia, Israel, Artsakh, Economy, Armenian Genocide, Human Rights, Armenian Church, Georgia, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, NATO | Series: cog
Turkish-Armenian Normalization Negotiations A Conversation with Harut Sassounian
- Harut Sassounian has been the publisher of The California Courier newspaper since 1983. He is also the President of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization which has delivered to Armenia and Artsakh $947 million of humanitarian assistance since 1989. He is currently engaged in forming the Diaspora Armenian Parliament through local elections.
Topics:
- History of Turkish-Armenian Attempts at Negotiations
- Who are The Players?
- Why Now? What’s on the Agenda?
- What are the Pitfalls and Opportunities?
Turkish Armenian Normalization - Conversation with Harut Sassounian | Ep #111 - Jan 9, 2022 [EP111]
Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Genocide, Russia, Israel, Artsakh, Economy, Armenian Genocide, Human Rights, Armenian Church, Georgia, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, NATOTurkish-Armenian Normalization Negotiations A Conversation with Harut Sassounian
- Harut Sassounian has been the publisher of The California Courier newspaper since 1983. He is also the President of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization which has delivered to Armenia and Artsakh $947 million of humanitarian assistance since 1989. He is currently engaged in forming the Diaspora Armenian Parliament through local elections.
Topics:
- History of Turkish-Armenian Attempts at Negotiations
- Who are The Players?
- Why Now? What’s on the Agenda?
- What are the Pitfalls and Opportunities?
Thirty Years After the USSR | Ep #109 - Dec 26, 2021 [EP109]
Posted on Sunday, Dec 26, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, USSR, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Economy, Artsakh, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, NATO, European Union | Series: cog
Thirty Years After the USSR
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian is a Lecturer in history at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan. His research focuses on the history of Eastern Armenia and the Caucasus, especially Soviet Armenia during the era of Nikita Khrushchevâs Thaw. His analyses on Russia and the former Soviet region have appeared in The Nation, The Plain Dealer, the Russian International Affairs Council, Hetq, and more.
Topics:
- How did the USSR Dissolve, who were the personalities behind it?
- Did Ethnic Nationalism Have a Hand in it?
- Did Ronald Reagan Defeat the Soviet Union?
- What are the
Thirty Years After the USSR | Ep #109 - Dec 26, 2021 [EP109]
Posted on Sunday, Dec 26, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, USSR, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Economy, Artsakh, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, NATO, European UnionThirty Years After the USSR
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian is a Lecturer in history at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan. His research focuses on the history of Eastern Armenia and the Caucasus, especially Soviet Armenia during the era of Nikita Khrushchevâs Thaw. His analyses on Russia and the former Soviet region have appeared in The Nation, The Plain Dealer, the Russian International Affairs Council, Hetq, and more.
Topics:
- How did the USSR Dissolve, who were the personalities behind it?
- Did Ethnic Nationalism Have a Hand in it?
- Did Ronald Reagan Defeat the Soviet Union?
- What are the
Normalization | Brussels Sprouts | NSC Chair in DC | Armenia Project Tour | Ep. 108 - Dec 19, 2021 [EP108]
Posted on Tuesday, Dec 21, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, European Union, Genocide, Georgia, Iran, Ukraine, NATO, Economy, Middle East | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 19, 2021
Topics:
- Turkish-Armenian normalization
- Brussels Sprouts
- Armen Grigoryan in Washington DC
- The Armenian Project - US Tour
- Analyst Rants
Guest:
Episode 108 | Recorded: December 20, 2021