Hrant Mikaelian - Armenia’s Western Pivot: Strategy or Wishful Thinking? | Ep 575, Aug 8, 2026

Chapters

1. 00:00 Intro to show with Hrant Mikaelian
2. 00:39 Ruben Rubinyan is new Speaker of the National Assembly
3. 03:05 Whose policies actually led Armenia into the disastrous 2020 confrontation with Turkey and Azerbaijan?
4. 06:15 What geopolitical lessons did Rubinyan and Pashinyan learn?
5. 13:00 What do you make of Russia’s demand that Armenia hold a referendum on joining the EU?
6. 16:27 If such a referendum is held, won’t it pass?
7. 21:12 Why are relations with the EU and the EAEU mutually exclusive?
8. 24:40 Do you think that Russia will eventually soften up their sanctions?
9. 27:26 What will be the price that Armenia pays for nationalizing Russian Railways?
10. 31:41 What exactly is Europe offering Armenia to help offset the current Armenian economic impact?
11. 33:59 Is the Armenian government truly diversifying it's economy as they claim?
12. 35:32 Does Armenia have deeper institutional backing from the EU than just the current EU & country leaderships?
13. 40:05 If more conservative forces take power in Europe, will the anti-Russia policies change?
14. 42:19 Attacks against the Armenian Apostolic Church
15. 50:30 Armenian economy
16. 56:04 What's the status with Armenia's national debt?
17. 58:56 How much of Armenia's economic health depend on good relations with Russia?
18. 1:02:10 About Hrant Mikaelian