<![CDATA[Armenian News Network / Groong]]>https://substack.groong.orghttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!npmQ!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88493460-5f30-4b2d-b527-8e5171aa71a2_400x400.pngArmenian News Network / Groonghttps://substack.groong.orgSubstackThu, 22 Oct 2026 05:31:45 GMT<![CDATA[Arthur Martirosyan - Armenia at a Crossroads: Railways, Reactors, and Security | Ep 594, Oct 17, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/arthur-martirosyan-armenia-at-a-crossroadshttps://substack.groong.org/p/arthur-martirosyan-armenia-at-a-crossroadsSat, 17 Oct 2026 18:01:12 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur G. Martirosyan about Armenia at a crossroads in politics and security. We discuss the Shaki infiltration incident and government accountability, Pashinyan’s standoff with Russian Railways over the rail concession, nuclear energy options including Western SMRs versus Russian reactors, TRIPP’s implications for Armenian geopolitics, and environmental destruction at COP17.

Topics:

  • Azeri Soldier Infiltration and Shaki Shooting

  • Government Accountability and Border Security Failures

  • Russian Railways and Armenia’s Strategic Options

  • Nuclear Power: Russian Reactors vs. Western SMRs

  • TRIPP and Armenia’s Geopolitical Balancing Act

  • COP17, Environmental Destruction, and Appeasing Azerbaijan

Guest: Arthur G. Martirosyan

Hosts:

Episode 594 | Recorded: October 16, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/594

#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition

]]><![CDATA[Pashinyan's Nuclear U-Turn and Armenia's Security Failures | Ep 593, Oct 11, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/pashinyans-nuclear-u-turn-and-armeniashttps://substack.groong.org/p/pashinyans-nuclear-u-turn-and-armeniasWed, 14 Oct 2026 17:01:51 GMTIn this week’s episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed examine Pashinyan’s abrupt reversal on nuclear energy policy, shifting from Western small modular reactors to consideration of a Russian gigawatt-scale plant amid surging data center demands. We discuss the security implications of long-term energy dependency, the geopolitics behind Armenia’s power infrastructure choices, and ongoing concerns about Azerbaijani infiltration, opposition unity under Samvel Karapetyan, and corruption at COP17.

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s Nuclear Policy U-Turn

  • Azerbaijani Infiltration Into Shaki

  • Karapetyan To Unite The Opposition?

  • COP17 Spending Corruption

  • Pashinyan’s Broken Environmental Promises

Hosts:

Episode 593 | Recorded: October 13, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/593

#Armenia #Pashinyan #NuclearEnergy #Azerbaijan #NationalSecurity #SamvelKarapetyan #Corruption #Amulsar

]]><![CDATA[Harut Sassounian - Armenia’s Identity Crisis: Church, State, and Diaspora | Ep 592, Oct 2, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/harut-sassounian-armenias-identityhttps://substack.groong.org/p/harut-sassounian-armenias-identitySat, 03 Oct 2026 06:46:01 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Harut Sassounian about Armenia’s identity crisis amid escalating conflict between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. We discuss Catholicos Garegin II’s statements at the May 2025 World Council of Churches conference in Bern, Pashinyan’s public attacks on senior clergy, the constitutional role of the Armenian Church in national identity, and the deeper geopolitical questions surrounding Armenia-Diaspora relations following the June 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections.

Topics:

  • Church-State conflict and Garegin II

  • Bern, Artsakh, and national identity

  • Government plans to “reform” Church

  • Pashinyan’s meeting with All-ASA

  • Armenia-Diaspora relations after June 7

Guest: Harut Sassounian

Hosts:

Episode 592 | Recorded: September 30, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/592

#Armenia #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #NikolPashinyan #Artsakh #ArmenianDiaspora #ChurchState #ArmenianIdentity

]]><![CDATA[From Yerablur to Etchmiadzin: Armenia’s Battle Over Memory | Ep 591, Sep 27, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/from-yerablur-to-etchmiadzin-armeniashttps://substack.groong.org/p/from-yerablur-to-etchmiadzin-armeniasThu, 01 Oct 2026 18:00:56 GMTIn this week’s Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed mark the sixth anniversary of the 44-Day War and examine Armenia’s deepening crisis over historical memory and national identity. We discuss the Armenian government’s controversial response to September 27 commemorations, escalating tension between the state and the Armenian Church, international concern over election integrity, and Armenia’s isolated position as Azerbaijan demolishes Artsakh’s Armenian cultural heritage while Turkey advances regional integration plans.

Topics:

  • September 27 war anniversary and memory

  • Pashinyan escalates campaign against Church

  • PACE raises concerns over elections

  • Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan at UNGA

  • Witkoff reveals Turkish regional advisers

  • Opposition faces post-election divisions

  • Arrests and prosecutions over speech

  • France and Azerbaijan move toward normalization

Hosts:

Episode 591 | Recorded: September 27, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/591

]]><![CDATA[Dziunik Aghajanian - From Moscow to Riyadh: New Fault Lines Around Armenia | Ep 590, Sep 25, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/dziunik-aghajanian-from-moscow-tohttps://substack.groong.org/p/dziunik-aghajanian-from-moscow-toSat, 26 Sep 2026 01:00:33 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dziunik Aghajanian about shifting geopolitical pressures on Armenia following Russia’s September 2026 parliamentary elections. We discuss Putin’s strengthened domestic position, the Armenia-Russia confrontation over the 102nd base, asset confiscation and anti-corruption efforts targeting Russian interests, and how Middle East escalation and the Iran War reshape Armenia’s strategic environment amid ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process tensions.

Topics:

  • Russian parliamentary election outcome

  • Middle East escalation and the Houthis

  • Armenia-Russia confrontation, including the 102nd base

  • Asset confiscation, anti-corruption, and Russian interests

  • Azerbaijan-Armenia “durable peace” tensions

  • Armenian opposition strategy

Guest: Dziunik Aghajanian

Hosts:

Episode 590 | Recorded: September 23, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/590

#Armenia #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #MiddleEast #UkraineWar #ArmenianPolitics #Geopolitics

]]><![CDATA[Arthur Khachatryan - Opposition Strategy, TRIPP, and the Russian Base | Ep 589, Sep 23, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/arthur-khachatryan-opposition-strategyhttps://substack.groong.org/p/arthur-khachatryan-opposition-strategyThu, 24 Sep 2026 01:01:31 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur Khachatryan, MP from Armenia Alliance, about opposition strategy following the June 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We discuss the Established Opposition’s plans to counter Pashinyan’s agenda, territorial concessions including Tigranashen, Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage, the role of TRIPP and Azerbaijan’s control over transit corridors, the future of Russia’s 102nd military base, and escalating threats against opposition parties.

Topics:

  • Reflections on Independence Day

  • Post-election opposition strategy

  • Tigranashen and other territorial concessions

  • Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage

  • Azerbaijani control over TRIPP access

  • Future of Russia’s 102nd base

  • Asset confiscation and Russia tensions

  • Attacks and threats against the ARF

Guest: Arthur Khachatryan

Hosts:

Episode 589 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/589

#Armenia #ArthurKhachatryan #ArmeniaAlliance #TRIPP #Tigranashen #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

]]><![CDATA[Armenia at 35: Independence, Loss, and Unfinished Wars | Ep 588, Sep 20, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/armenia-at-35-independence-loss-andhttps://substack.groong.org/p/armenia-at-35-independence-loss-andWed, 23 Sep 2026 18:01:08 GMTIn this week’s Groong podcast episode, Hovik and Asbed reflect on Armenia’s 35th independence anniversary amid ongoing regional tensions and unresolved conflicts. We discuss the state of Armenian statehood three years after the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, Armenian prisoners of war still held in Baku, rising citizenship costs, government opacity over war casualties, and deepening Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic coordination.

Topics:

  • Armenia marks 35 years independent

  • Artsakh remembered three years later

  • Armenian POWs remain in Baku

  • Ukraine strikes deep inside Russia

  • Turkey-Azerbaijan deepen strategic coordination

  • Citizenship costs rise sharply

  • Government opacity over war casualties

Hosts:

Episode 588 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/588

#Armenia #Artsakh #UkraineWar #ArmenianPOWs #Azerbaijan #Turkey #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

]]><![CDATA[Warwick Powell - From BRICS to AI: The Infrastructure Multipolarity | Ep 587, Sep 20, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/warwick-powell-from-brics-to-ai-thehttps://substack.groong.org/p/warwick-powell-from-brics-to-ai-theMon, 21 Sep 2026 06:01:20 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Professor Warwick Powell about multipolarity, infrastructure, and the strategic implications of emerging power blocs. We discuss tangible outcomes from the SCO and BRICS summits, the shift toward local-currency settlement and financial alternatives to Western institutions, China’s role as an enabling power, and how countries like Armenia navigate the infrastructure competition between TRIPP and competing regional corridors. We also examine AI safety and digital sovereignty in a multipolar world, where both Washington and Beijing view artificial intelligence as a decisive strategic contest.

Topics:

  • SCO and BRICS summit outcomes

  • BRICS financial architecture and currencies

  • AI safety and strategic competition

  • AI sovereignty for smaller states

Guest: Warwick Powell

Hosts:

Episode 587 | Recorded: September 17, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/587

#BRICS #China #SCO #Multipolarity #Artificial0Intelligence #AISafety #DigitalSovereignty #TRIPP

]]><![CDATA[Hrant Mikaelian - Chips for TRIPP, Education Crisis, and Economic Risks | Ep 586, Sep 17, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/hrant-mikaelian-chips-for-tripp-educationhttps://substack.groong.org/p/hrant-mikaelian-chips-for-tripp-educationSat, 19 Sep 2026 04:01:19 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Hrant Mikaelian about chip diplomacy, the TRIPP framework, and Armenia’s structural economic vulnerabilities. We discuss how the U.S. fast-tracked advanced AI exports to secure the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process agreement, the massive energy demands of the planned Firebird data center, Armenia’s deepening education crisis, and the risks of energy dependence as the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant approaches shutdown.

Topics:

  • AI chips tied to TRIPP diplomacy

  • Data centers raise major energy questions

  • Armenia faces severe education outcomes

  • Government reforms versus poor student performance

  • Azerbaijan targets Armenian heritage in Artsakh

  • Gas dependence exposes Armenia to shocks

Guest: Hrant Mikaelian

Hosts:

Episode 586 | Recorded: September 16, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/586

#Armenia #TRIPP #ArtificialIntelligence #EducationCrisis #Artsakh #EnergySecurity #SouthCaucasus #HrantMikaelian

]]><![CDATA[Gandzasar Erasure, Chips for Territory, Russian Money & Pashinyan in Space | Ep 585, Sep 13, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/gandzasar-erasure-chips-for-territoryhttps://substack.groong.org/p/gandzasar-erasure-chips-for-territoryThu, 17 Sep 2026 05:30:53 GMTIn this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed examine the fourth anniversary of the September 2022 border war, Azerbaijan’s ongoing occupation of Armenian territory, and Pashinyan’s political trajectory toward recognizing Artsakh’s loss. We discuss Hajiyev’s inflammatory rhetoric, Armenia’s muted diplomatic response, TRIPP and semiconductor sovereignty, Pashinyan’s attendance at a Paris space summit, Russian financial flows through Armenia, and Russia-Iran coordination in the South Caucasus.

Topics:

  • 2022 border war and its legacy

  • Hajiyev spouts hate, EU reps giggle

  • Armenia’s muted response to Azerbaijan

  • TRIPP, NVIDIA chips, and sovereignty

  • Pashinyan’s Paris space summit visit

  • Russian money flows through Armenia

  • Russia-Iran coordination in South Caucasus

  • Political prosecutions and Grigoryan reshuffle

Hosts:

Episode 585 | Recorded: September 14, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/585

#Armenia #Artsakh #Gandzasar #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #Russia #Iran

]]><![CDATA[Artsakh Remembered, SCO Theater, Russian Signals, and the Cucumber Paradox | Ep 584, Sep 6, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/artsakh-remembered-sco-theater-russianhttps://substack.groong.org/p/artsakh-remembered-sco-theater-russianTue, 08 Sep 2026 06:01:22 GMTIn this week’s Groong episode, Hovik and Asbed review September 2026 developments across Armenia and the South Caucasus. We examine Artsakh’s remembered independence declaration on September 2, 1991, and its unresolved cause following the 2023 ethnic cleansing; Putin’s signaling on Russia’s military base presence; ongoing Armenian Church prosecutions; EU trade negotiations; mounting non-combat military deaths; and political pressures ahead of local elections. We also analyze U.S. envoy Witkoff and Kushner’s diplomatic shuttle through Moscow and Kyiv.

Topics:

  • Artsakh remembered, its cause unresolved

  • Putin puts Russia’s military base on the table

  • Church prosecutions begin to unravel

  • EU trade headlines look better than the deal

  • Army indiscipline fuels mounting non-combat deaths

  • New political pressures before local elections

Hosts:

Episode 584 | Recorded: Sep 6, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/584

#Artsakh #Armenia #NagornoKarabakh #SouthCaucasus #SCO #Russia #EuropeanUnion #ArmenianPolitics

]]><![CDATA[Suren Sargsyan - Central Asia, TRIPP, Iran, and Armenia in the New Great Game | Ep 583, Sep 5, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/suren-sargsyan-central-asia-tripphttps://substack.groong.org/p/suren-sargsyan-central-asia-trippSun, 06 Sep 2026 05:02:30 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Suren Sargsyan about the Iran War and great power competition for Armenia’s strategic position. We discuss Washington’s unclear endgame in the conflict with Iran, the future of Russia’s military presence in Armenia and CSTO membership, and competing U.S. and European interests in new east-west transit routes through Armenia and Central Asia amid broader geopolitical rivalries.

Topics:

  • U.S. objectives in the Iran war

  • Russia’s 102nd base in Armenia

  • Pashinyan’s sovereignty policy contradictions

  • Great-power rivalry across Central Asia

  • U.S. and EU interests in TRIPP

  • Armenia’s place in Eurasian competition

Guest: Suren Sargsyan

Hosts:

Episode 583 | Recorded: Sep 4, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/583

#Armenia #IranWar #TRIPP #CentralAsia #Russia #UnitedStates #Geopolitics #SouthCaucasus

]]><![CDATA[Armenia at the SCO Summit as Ukraine and Iran Wars Intensify | Ep 582, Aug 30, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/armenia-at-the-sco-summit-as-ukrainehttps://substack.groong.org/p/armenia-at-the-sco-summit-as-ukraineThu, 03 Sep 2026 03:32:25 GMTIn this week’s Groong news roundup, Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia’s position at the SCO Summit amid intensifying global conflicts. We discuss Russia’s escalation in Ukraine, unprecedented Western diplomatic visits to Moscow, the renewed US-Iran War, and Pashinyan’s meetings with regional and global leaders including Aliyev and Putin. We also address the ongoing persecution of former Artsakh leaders and the selective justice targeting Armenia’s political landscape.

Topics:

  • Russia Escalates War Against Ukraine

  • Unprecedented Western Visits to Moscow

  • US-Iran War Flares Again

  • All Artsakh Presidents Behind Bars

  • Armenia at the SCO Summit

  • Pashinyan Meets Aliyev, Putin, Modi

  • Political Persecutions and Selective Justice

Hosts:

Episode 582 | Recorded: August 31, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/582

#Armenia #Artsakh #UkraineWar #IranWar #SCO #Pashinyan #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

]]><![CDATA[Arthur Martirosyan - The Fourth Republic and the Politics of Erasure | Ep 581, Aug 29, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/arthur-martirosyan-the-fourth-republichttps://substack.groong.org/p/arthur-martirosyan-the-fourth-republicSun, 30 Aug 2026 01:45:32 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur G. Martirosyan about Armenia’s post-election political crisis and Pashinyan’s governance agenda. We discuss the arrest of opposition leaders including Robert Kocharyan, attacks on the Armenian Church, border concessions including Tigranashen, the TRIPP corridor, and how the Established Opposition is strategizing under state repression in the Fourth Republic.

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s Revenge Against Opposition

  • Kocharyan Arrested, Family Under State Pressure

  • Opposition Strategy Under Repression

  • Pashinyan’s Five-Year Transformation Agenda

  • Government Assault on Armenian Church

  • Tigranashen and Border Concessions

  • TRIPP, Turan, and Central Asia

Guest: Arthur G. Martirosyan

Hosts:

Episode 581 | Recorded: August 28, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/581

#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition

]]><![CDATA[Ambassador Jack Matlock - Did the West Fumble the Post-Cold War Peace? | Ep 580, Aug 28, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/ambassador-jack-matlock-did-the-westhttps://substack.groong.org/p/ambassador-jack-matlock-did-the-westSat, 29 Aug 2026 03:15:37 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Ambassador Jack Matlock, the last US Ambassador to the Soviet Union, about whether the West missed a historic opportunity to integrate Russia into Western security architecture after the Cold War. We discuss the internal collapse of the Soviet Union, Reagan-Gorbachev diplomacy, NATO expansion and Russian backlash, and how Cold War-era decisions shape Armenia’s geopolitical choices today, including Matlock’s firsthand observations of Soviet Armenia during glasnost and the Nagorno Karabakh movement.

Topics:

  • Recollections from Soviet South Caucasus

  • Why the Soviet Union collapsed

  • How the Cold War ended

  • Reagan and Gorbachev’s diplomacy

  • America’s post-Cold War triumphalism

  • NATO expansion and Russian backlash

  • Great-power rivalry in the Caucasus

  • Armenia’s geopolitical choices today

Guest: Jack F. Matlock Jr.

Hosts:

Episode 580 | Recorded: Aug 27, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/580

#JackMatlock #ColdWar #SovietUnion #Reagan #Gorbachev #NATO #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Armenia

]]><![CDATA[Dziunik Aghajanian - Armenia Between Iran, Russia & the New Middle East Order | Ep 579, Aug 22, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/dziunik-aghajanian-armenia-betweenhttps://substack.groong.org/p/dziunik-aghajanian-armenia-betweenSat, 22 Aug 2026 16:30:54 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dziunik Aghajanian about Armenia’s precarious position between Iran, Russia, and emerging Middle East power shifts. We discuss the Mecca joint defense pact signed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, Iran’s warnings over TRIPP, Ilham Aliyev’s militarization plans in Nakhijevan, Armenia’s growing energy dependence, Russian deadlines for Yerevan, and how the Established Opposition is testing its parliamentary strategy ahead of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election.

Topics:

  • Significance of the Mecca joint defense pact

  • Iran warns Armenia over TRIPP

  • Aliyev advances plans through Syunik

  • Armenia faces growing energy dependence

  • Russia sets deadlines for Yerevan

  • Opposition tests its parliamentary strategy

Guest: Dziunik Aghajanian

Hosts:

Episode 579 | Recorded: August 18, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/579

#Armenia #SouthCaucasus #Mecca #TRIPP #Iran #Russia #Azerbaijan #EAEU #CSTO

]]><![CDATA[Aliyev’s TRIPP, Russia’s Deadline, Iran’s Warning | Ep 578, Aug 16, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/aliyevs-tripp-russias-deadline-iranshttps://substack.groong.org/p/aliyevs-tripp-russias-deadline-iransThu, 20 Aug 2026 01:30:37 GMTIn this episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discuss Armenia’s precarious position amid escalating Iran War risks, Russia’s December ultimatum on the Eurasian Economic Union, and deepening security threats from TRIPP. We examine how a broader US-Iran conflict could devastate Armenia through refugee flows and logistics collapse, why Pashinyan’s EAEU defiance has triggered Russian pressure, and what frozen CSTO membership actually means for Armenian security.

Topics:

  • US-Iran War Risks Return

  • Armenia Faces Regional Spillover Risks

  • Russia Pressures Armenia Over Western Pivot

  • TRIPP Deepens Security and Energy Risks

  • Domestic Politics Grow More Confrontational

  • Arrests and Prosecutions Fuel Repression Claims

Hosts:

Episode 578 | Recorded: August 17, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/578

#Armenia #IranWar #TRIPP #Syunik #SouthCaucasus #RussiaArmenia #Nakhichevan #ArmenianPolitics

]]><![CDATA[Richard Campbell - The AI Infrastructure Race and Armenia’s High-Stakes Bet | Ep 577, Aug 16, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/richard-campbell-the-ai-infrastructurehttps://substack.groong.org/p/richard-campbell-the-ai-infrastructureMon, 17 Aug 2026 02:45:27 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Richard Campbell about artificial intelligence infrastructure and Armenia’s Firebird project. We discuss the global AI race, the economics and energy demands of data centers, whether current AI valuations align with physical and economic realities, and what sovereign AI capacity means for Armenia’s strategic positioning.

Topics:

  • Global AI race and hype

  • Economics of AI data centers

  • Energy limits and infrastructure demands

  • Armenia’s Firebird AI project

  • Jobs, innovation, and local benefits

  • AI sovereignty and export controls

  • Military value and security risks

Guest: Richard Campbell

Hosts:

Episode 577 | Recorded: August 11, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/577

INTERESTING TALKS BY RICHARD CAMPBELL:

#ArtificialIntelligence #Armenia #FirebirdAI #AIDataCenters #SovereignAI #EnergySecurity #TechGeopolitics #NationalSecurity

]]><![CDATA[Pashinyan’s Church War, the Russia-EU Choice, and TRIPP | Ep 576, Aug 9, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/pashinyans-church-war-the-russiahttps://substack.groong.org/p/pashinyans-church-war-the-russiaWed, 12 Aug 2026 17:01:57 GMTIn this week’s Groong episode, the hosts examine Pashinyan’s confrontation with the Armenian Church, Armenia’s strategic positioning between Russia and the EU, and the geopolitical implications of TRIPP. We discuss the trial of Catholicos Garegin II, Iran’s military leadership realignment, the Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense pact, and how these shifts reshape Armenia’s role in the South Caucasus.

Topics:

  • Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi Alliance

  • Iran War Update

  • Catholicos on Trial

  • EAEU Meeting in Cholpon-Ata

  • Corruption & Persecutions

Hosts:

Episode 576 | Recorded: August 10, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/576

#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #TRIPP #ArmeniaRussia #SouthCaucasus #Groong

]]><![CDATA[Hrant Mikaelian - Armenia’s Western Pivot: Strategy or Wishful Thinking? | Ep 575, Aug 8, 2026]]>https://substack.groong.org/p/hrant-mikaelian-armenias-westernhttps://substack.groong.org/p/hrant-mikaelian-armenias-westernSat, 08 Aug 2026 21:30:30 GMTIn this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Hrant Mikaelian about Armenia’s Western pivot and the opening of the new parliament. We discuss Ruben Rubinyan’s appointment as speaker, Armenia-Russia-EAEU relations, lessons from the 44-Day War, European aid for Armenia, the role of the Armenian Church in national identity, and Armenia’s economic direction amid geopolitical pressure.

Topics:

  • New Armenian Parliament

  • Armenia-Russia-EAEU Relations

  • EUropean Aid for Armenia

  • Church & National Identity

  • Armenian Economy

Guest: Hrant Mikaelian

Hosts:

Episode 575 | Recorded: August 4, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/575

#Armenia #Russia #EuropeanUnion #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaRussia #ArmenianChurch #SouthCaucasus #Geopolitics

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