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.

Six weeks of war | What is Russia thinking? | To recognize or not to recognize (Ep. 26) [EP26]

Posted on Thursday, Nov 12, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Economy, Israel, Middle East, China, Lebanon, Ukraine, NATO

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review Episode 26 - Nov 8, 2020

Topics Covered:

  • Six weeks of war, what to do next.
  • What is Russia thinking?
  • To recognize or not to recognize.

Your Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian
  • Hovik Manucharyan

Resident Panelists:

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Emil Sanamyan
  • Yeghia Tashjian

Recorded: Nov 7, 2020

International diplomacy | Turkey’s endgame | War and post-war economy | Update on COVID - 10/25/2020 [EP23]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 28, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Economy, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Lebanon | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 10/25/2020

Topics Covered:

  • International diplomacy on the move?
  • What is Turkey’s endgame?
  • War and post-war economy
  • Update on COVID

Guests:

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Hrant Mikaelian
  • Emil Sanamyan

Your Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20201025.html Episode 23 | Recorded on October 25, 2020

International diplomacy | Turkey’s endgame | War and post-war economy | Update on COVID - 10/25/2020 [EP23]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 28, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Economy, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Lebanon

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 10/25/2020

Topics Covered:

  • International diplomacy on the move?
  • What is Turkey’s endgame?
  • War and post-war economy
  • Update on COVID

Guests:

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Hrant Mikaelian
  • Emil Sanamyan

Your Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20201025.html Episode 23 | Recorded on October 25, 2020

Artsakh War - Back to 9/27 | War Council proposal | Diaspora mobilization (Ep. 22) [EP22]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 21, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Artsakh, China, Georgia, India, Lebanon, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - October 18, 2020

Topics Covered:

  • In retrospect: Tracing our steps back to Sep. 27
  • Call from extra-parliamentary opposition for a War Council
  • Mobilization of the Armenian diaspora

Your Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian
  • Hovik Manucharyan

Resident Panelists:

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Emil Sanamyan

Episode 22. Recorded: October18, 2020 Playlist: WiR (Week in Review)

Artsakh War - Back to 9/27 | War Council proposal | Diaspora mobilization (Ep. 22) [EP22]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 21, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Artsakh, China, Georgia, India, Lebanon, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - October 18, 2020

Topics Covered:

  • In retrospect: Tracing our steps back to Sep. 27
  • Call from extra-parliamentary opposition for a War Council
  • Mobilization of the Armenian diaspora

Your Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian
  • Hovik Manucharyan

Resident Panelists:

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Emil Sanamyan

Episode 22. Recorded: October18, 2020 Playlist: WiR (Week in Review)

Stepanakert Cluster Bombed | Turkey's Role | Russia Quiet | What's Next? | Ep. 20 - Oct 4, 2020 [EP20]

Posted on Monday, Oct 5, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Iran, Syria, Geopolitics | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - October 4, 2020

Topics:

  • Stepanakert under persistent bombardment using banned cluster bombs.
  • Turkey’s role in the war.
  • Why is Russia quiet?
  • What can we expect next?

Guests:

Episode 20 | Recorded: Oct 3, 2020

Stepanakert Cluster Bombed | Turkey's Role | Russia Quiet | What's Next? | Ep. 20 - Oct 4, 2020 [EP20]

Posted on Monday, Oct 5, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Iran, Syria, Geopolitics

ANN/Groong Week in Review - October 4, 2020

Topics:

  • Stepanakert under persistent bombardment using banned cluster bombs.
  • Turkey’s role in the war.
  • Why is Russia quiet?
  • What can we expect next?

Guests:

Episode 20 | Recorded: Oct 3, 2020

ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #16) - 09/20/2020 [EP16]

Posted on Monday, Sep 21, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Genocide, Human Rights, Israel, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide, NATO | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 09/20/2020

Topics:

  • Constitutional Court Appointment
  • Armenia’s Growing National Debt
  • Calls for the Resignation of the Minister of Education
  • Escalated Tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border
    • Armenian Soldier dies amidst escalation
    • Azerbaijan again slams negotiations, turns away Russian AWACS
  • Khodorkovsky Publishes New Dossier on Armenian & Azerbaijan
  • Bob Dole hired by Embassy of Armenia as a Lobbyist

Guests

  • Hrant Mikaelyan
  • Emil Sanamyan
  • Alen Zamanyan

Hosts

  • Asbed Bedrossian
  • Hovik Manucharyan
 Read More

ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #16) - 09/20/2020 [EP16]

Posted on Monday, Sep 21, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Genocide, Human Rights, Israel, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide, NATO

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 09/20/2020

Topics:

  • Constitutional Court Appointment
  • Armenia’s Growing National Debt
  • Calls for the Resignation of the Minister of Education
  • Escalated Tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border
    • Armenian Soldier dies amidst escalation
    • Azerbaijan again slams negotiations, turns away Russian AWACS
  • Khodorkovsky Publishes New Dossier on Armenian & Azerbaijan
  • Bob Dole hired by Embassy of Armenia as a Lobbyist

Guests

  • Hrant Mikaelyan
  • Emil Sanamyan
  • Alen Zamanyan

Hosts

  • Asbed Bedrossian
  • Hovik Manucharyan
 Read More