Week in Review - May 17, 2026
This Week in Review covers a tense mix of global and Armenian political crises, from Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping and the deepening Iran war, to Armenia’s worsening relations with Russia and the risks to trade, energy, and security ties. Hovik and Asbed also examine Armenia’s heated election climate, including allegations of state pressure, abuse of administrative resources, selective law enforcement, Pashinyan’s violent campaign rhetoric against opposition leaders, and the muted response of international observers. The episode also looks at Robert Kocharyan’s call for major-power guarantees for peace with Azerbaijan, and the vandalism of the Sourp Nshan Armenian Church in Javakhk.
Topics:
Trump, China, and Iran
Armenia-Russia “soft divorce”
Pashinyan’s violent campaign rhetoric
State resources and election pressure
Javakhk church vandalism concerns
Hosts:
Episode 547 | Recorded: May 18, 2026
SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/547
#Pashinyan #ArmeniaElections #ArmenianPolitics #PoliticalViolence #HateSpeech #ArmeniaRussia #IranWar #SouthCaucasus
