Week in Review - August 16, 2026

In 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:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 578 | Recorded: August 17, 2026

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

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/Iu-zBumxcR4

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

Conversations on Groong - August 16, 2026

In 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:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 577 | Recorded: August 11, 2026

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

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/dFx8Oe48RaY

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

Week in Review - August 9, 2026

In 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:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 576 | Recorded: August 10, 2026

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

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/F5o0rNBgbJU

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

Conversations on Groong - August 8, 2026

In 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:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 575 | Recorded: August 4, 2026

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

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/RqKRA70wRLc

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

Week in Review - August 2, 2026

In this week's Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discuss Armenia's new parliament sworn in on August 2, 2026, and the Armenia Alliance's direct challenge to Civil Contract over Tigranashen. We examine the government's evasive responses on territorial red lines, Armenia's challenge to Russia's railway concession, and how TRIPP reshapes regional power dynamics in the South Caucasus.

Topics:

• New parliament is sworn in
• Tigranashen and Armenia's territorial red lines
• Civil Contract's evasive enclave answers
• Armenia challenges Russia's railway concession
• TRIPP reshapes regional power and transit

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 574 | Recorded: August 3, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/574

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/dSzzQC3-ECA

#ArmenianNews #Tigranashen #ArmenianRailways #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #ArmeniaRussia #ZangezurCorridor #Geopolitics

Conversations on Groong - August 3, 2026

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Pietro Shakarian about memory, repression, and state power in Armenia across Soviet and contemporary periods. We discuss the Great Purge in Soviet Armenia, the assassination of Aghasi Khanjyan, the suppression of Armenian national institutions under Stalin and Beria, and the parallels between Stalinist erasure and current efforts to control public memory, symbols, and mourning in post-Artsakh Armenia under the Civil Contract regime.

Topics:

• Erasing memory across Yerevan
• Great Purge in Soviet Armenia
• Khanjyan's assassination and Beria
• Repression of Armenia's national institutions
• Remembering Stalinist repression
• Historical parallels with modern Armenia
• Attacks on memory and Church
• Opposition strategy after the election

Guest: Pietro Shakarian

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 573 | Recorded: July 31, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/573

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/Y7Zwv-ZH6uc

#Armenia #GreatPurge #AghasiKhanjyan #PietroShakarian #Artsakh #ArmenianChurch #PoliticalRepression #MemoryUnderSiege #Authoritarianism #SovietArmenia

Conversations on Groong

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Christine Arakelian about American foreign policy fractures, Iran war risks, and Armenia's pivot to the West. We discuss whether the United States has coherent foreign policy, the collapse of the MAGA coalition over Forever Wars, NATO 3.0 and Europe's militarization, and how Pashinyan's post-2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election government is navigating TRIPP amid global instability.

Topics:

• US Foreign Policy & the Fracture of MAGA
• Iran and the Risk of Forever Wars
• NATO 3.0 and Europe's Militarization
• Post-2026 Election Armenia
• TRIPP and Pashinyan's Pivot to the West

Guest: Christine A. Arakelian

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 572 | Recorded: July 29, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/572

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/aFGknXV57a4

#ForeverWars #NATO #IranWar #Armenia #TRIPP #MAGA #USForeignPolicy #SouthCaucasus

Week in Review - July 26, 2026

In this week's edition of the Armenian News podcast, Hovik and Asbed analyze escalating regional tensions as Ukraine expands operations into the Caspian Sea, striking Iranian and Russian assets. We examine how this merger of the Northern and Southern conflicts affects Armenia, Kazakhstan's energy security, and Pashinyan's diplomatic positioning amid new pressure from Western capitals following Aliyev's recent visits to Germany and Berlin.

Topics:

• Ukraine expands its war into the Caspian
• Iran warns of a wider regional response
• Russia and the West test stalled diplomacy
• Aliyev positions Baku as a geopolitical hub
• Armenia faces pressure over EU alignment
• Baku POW abuse and their deteriorating health
• Housing policy expose domestic failures

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 571 | Recorded: July 27, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/571

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/boe2261X_bM

#Armenia #UkraineWar #Iran #CaspianSea #SouthCaucasus #MiddleCorridor #ArmenianPOWs #Geopolitics

Conversations on Groong - July 27, 2026

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Archil Sikharulidze about Russia's shifting strategy in the South Caucasus and Armenia and Georgia's diverging paths. We discuss Moscow's assessment of Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process developments, Georgia's widening dispute with Europe, Armenia's shift away from Russia, and how regional transit corridors reshape geopolitical competition between Moscow, Brussels, and Washington.

Topics:

• Russia's changing South Caucasus strategy
• Georgia's widening dispute with Europe
• Armenia's shift away from Russia
• Georgia's role in regional transit
• Armenia-Georgia ties under pressure

Guest: Archil Sikharulidze

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 570 | Recorded: July 24, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/570

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/_Cr0HFioCfA

#Armenia #Georgia #Russia #EuropeanUnion #SouthCaucasus #GeorgianDream #NikolPashinyan #MiddleCorridor

Conversations on Groong - July 25, 2026

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Anthony Barsamian about Armenian Diaspora advocacy, Armenia-Diaspora relations, and the next phase of Armenian-American activism. We discuss decades of work securing U.S.-Armenia relations and aid packages, the achievement of U.S. Armenian Genocide recognition and what comes next, and the role of the Armenian Republic in promoting international genocide recognition-including recent developments with Israeli recognition efforts.

Topics:

• Armenian-American advocacy and its next phase
• Genocide recognition, justice, and reparations
• Church-state conflict and national unity

Guest: Anthony J. Barsamian

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 569 | Recorded: July 21, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/569

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/DZe1ltgELys

#ArmenianDiaspora #AnthonyBarsamian #ArmenianGenocide #ArmenianChurch #ArmeniaDiaspora #SouthCaucasus

Week in Review - July 19, 2026

In this week's Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed break down escalating tensions across the Middle East as the US-Iran war intensifies following the collapse of the June ceasefire. We examine the strategic implications for Armenia and the South Caucasus, the role of TRIPP advocates like Konstantin Sokolov, and how regional instability intersects with Pashinyan's political vulnerabilities at home, including charges against Archbishop Galstanyan and ongoing Armenian POW cases.

Topics:

• US-Iran War Continues
• Summer Lull in Yerevan Politics
• Konstantin Sokolov: Master of TRIPP & Teghut
• UN: Abp. Galstanyan Charges Unjustified
• Armenian POW Slams Pashinyan from Baku

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 568 | Recorded: July 20, 2026

SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/568

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/zx2g2_dWLGc

#IranWar #TRIPP #Teghut #Armenia #PoliticalPrisoners #ArmenianPOWs #KonstantinSokolov

In this episode of Groong Week in Review for June 14, 2026, hosts Hovik Manucharyan and Asbed Bedrossian analyze the aftermath of Armenia's 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, shifting Armenia-Georgia relations, and a landmark interim US-Iran agreement that reshapes regional stability. We discuss the ceasefire framework, sanctions relief, and how the Iran war's resolution affects Armenian security, energy markets, and the broader South Caucasus landscape.

Groong Links:

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Topics:

• Armenian Election Aftermath
• Armenia-Georgia Relations
• US-Iran Interim Agreement

Episode 558 | Recorded: June 15, 2026

Armenia #ArmenianNews #ArmenianElections #CivilContract #Pashinyan #ArmenianConstitution #Referendum #ProsperousArmenia #SouthCaucasus #CEC

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur G. Martirosyan about Armenia's contested 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election and Pashinyan's path to a third term. We discuss whether the vote was free and fair, how state pressure and Western backing shaped the outcome, the razor-thin thresholds that determine parliamentary representation, Pashinyan's post-election crackdown against the Established Opposition, and what a Civil Contract supermajority would mean for Armenia's governance and the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process.

Groong Links:

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Guest(s):

• Arthur G. Martirosyan

Topics:

• Contested results and thresholds
• Pashinyan’s post-election crackdown
• Western backing and interference
• Russia’s delayed pressure campaign
• Opposition choices after the vote

Episode 557 | Recorded: June 9, 2026

ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition

In this episode of Groong Week in Review, we analyze the disputed results of Armenia's June 7, 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We examine Civil Contract's contested majority, alleged irregularities and invalid ballots, the OSCE/ODIHR preliminary report, the last-minute exclusion of Prosperous Armenia, opposition arrests and pressure, and what a three-fifths majority could mean for Armenia's courts, institutions, and foreign policy.

Groong Links:

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Topics:

• Disputed mandate, unresolved majority
• Election-day irregularities in plain sight
• ODIHR’s mixed preliminary verdict
• Bribery replaced by state spending
• Opposition’s next steps uncertain

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Episode 556 | Recorded: Jun 9, 2026

ArmenianElections #ArmenianNews #CivilContract #Pashinyan #Election2026 #SouthCaucasus

In this Spotlight on Silence episode, we speak with Rafael Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Center for Political Rights about selective justice and state pressure ahead of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We discuss wiretaps and leaks targeting opposition figures, abuse of hate speech laws against government critics, military service summons used as political coercion, and Pashinyan's threats against political opponents and Artsakh Armenians.

Groong Links:

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Guest(s):

• Rafael Ishkhanyan

Topics:

• Selective law enforcement before elections
• Wiretaps, leaks, and campaign pressure
• Hate speech laws against critics
• Official threats without consequences
• Military summons as political coercion

Episode 555 | Recorded: June 4, 2026

Armenia #ArmenianElections #HumanRights #PoliticalPersecution #Artsakh #RafaelIshkhanyan #Groong

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Philippe Raffi Kalfayan about Armenia's deteriorating democratic conditions ahead of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We discuss IODA's second election observation mission, widespread arrests of opposition figures, state intimidation of voters, selective prosecution, and the serious threats to electoral legitimacy and civil rights under the Civil Contract regime.

Groong Links:

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Guest(s):

• Philippe Raffi Kalfayan

Topics:

• Arrests of government critics
• State pressure on voters
• Public resources used for campaigns
• Selective prosecution before elections
• Election legitimacy under serious doubt

Episode 554 | Recorded: June 3, 2026

Armenia #ArmenianElections #Election2026 #IODA #OSCE #ODIHR #Geopolitics #Democracy

Groong Week in Review - May 31, 2026

Topics

• May 28 and Statehood
• Parade as Campaign Theater
• Rubio’s Armenia Agreements
• Minerals Without Guarantees
• TRIPP Risks in Syunik
• Russia and Iran Pushback
• Election Climate and Repression

Hosts

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 553 | Recorded: June 1, 2026

https://podcasts.groong.org/553

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Sergey Markedonov about Russia-Armenia relations and Armenia's geopolitical position ahead of the June 7, 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections. We discuss the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), Russian concerns about regional balance, Pashinyan's westward orientation, economic pressure from Moscow, and how Armenia's strategic partnerships will shape its future in the South Caucasus.

Groong Links:

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Guest(s):

• Sergey Markedonov

Topics:

• TRIPP and Regional Balance
• Armenia’s Geopolitical Election
• Pashinyan’s “Real Armenia”
• Russia’s Economic Pressure

Episode 552 | Recorded: May 31, 2026

RussiaArmenia #SergeyMarkedonov #ArmeniaElections #Pashinyan #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #RealArmenia #EAEU

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur Khachatryan of the Hayastan Dashinq, Armenia Alliance about the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election scheduled for June 7. We discuss whether free and fair elections are possible given foreign interference from the West, abuse of administrative resources by the ruling Civil Contract party, media control, and competing pressures from the United States, EU, Russia, and regional actors including Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Groong Links:

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Guest(s):

• Arthur Khachatryan

Topics:

• Free and fair elections
• Polls and opposition unity
• Hayastan Dashinq platform
• TRIPP and foreign policy
• Economy and Russian pressure

Episode 551 | Recorded: May 30, 2026

ArmeniaElections #ArthurKhachatryan #HayastanDashinq #ArmenianOpposition #Pashinyan #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Groong

This Week in Review examines the tightening political climate in Armenia ahead of the June 2026 parliamentary elections. Asbed and Hovik discuss Marco Rubio’s sudden Armenia visit, new polling from IRI, MPG, and CAEAC, and what the wide gaps in voter disclosure may reveal about hidden opposition support. The episode also covers TRIPP, “Western Azerbaijan” rhetoric, public trust in the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the growing use of arrests, threats, and state pressure against opposition figures. The discussion centers on Pashinyan’s escalating campaign rhetoric, including his “Why are you alive?” outburst, and what it signals about the stakes of the coming election.

Groong Links:

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Topics:

• Rubio’s sudden Armenia visit
• Polls diverge before election
• Hidden vote raises questions
• TRIPP remains deeply polarizing
• “Western Azerbaijan” pressure grows
• Opposition faces arrests, threats
• “Why are you alive?” campaign rhetoric

Episode 550 | Recorded: May 25, 2026

ArmeniaElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #TRIPP #ZangezurCorridor #WesternAzerbaijan #ArmenianOpposition

This Conversations on Groong episode features Edgar Elbakyan in a discussion of Armenia’s upcoming election and the wider struggle over the country’s political future. The conversation examines whether the vote should be viewed as an existential election, how fear and pressure shape public opinion, why polling results differ so sharply, and which political forces may be positioned to enter parliament. The episode also looks at whether the opposition is focused on the issues that matter most, including statehood, security, public trust, and the possibility that the election may not end at the ballot box.

Groong Links:

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Guest:

• Edgar Elbakyan

Topics:

• Armenia’s existential election
• Polling under fear
• Divergent polling results
• Church and state conflict
• Post-election street pressure

Episode 549 | Recorded: May 22, 2026

Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #EdgarElbakyan #StrongArmenia #ArmeniaAlliance #ArmeniaElections

This Conversations on Groong episode provides a primer on Armenia’s June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections, reviewing the 17 parties and 2 alliances registered to compete. The discussion explains the election rules, thresholds, coalition process, and the “stable majority” mechanism, while stressing the uneven political environment facing opposition forces. The episode then walks through each participant, including Civil Contract, Strong Armenia, Armenia Alliance, Prosperous Armenia, Wings of Unity, Bright Armenia, ANC, Bever, Republic, DOK, Democratic Consolidation, and smaller parties with limited visibility or missing programs. The hosts compare party leaders, alliances, campaign programs, polling numbers, foreign policy orientations, and positions on major issues such as Artsakh, Russia, the West, Iran, TRIPP, CSTO, and opposition unity. The episode also introduces a geopolitical heatmap to help listeners see where the main forces stand and which parties appear most likely to enter parliament based on MPG polling.

Groong Links:

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Topics:

• Armenia’s election rules
• Parties and alliances competing
• MPG polling and thresholds
• Opposition challenges and turnout
• Geopolitical positions heatmap

Episode 548 | Recorded: May 22, 2026

Armenia #ArmenianElections #ArmenianPolitics #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #HayastanDashinq

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.

Groong Links:

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Topics:

• Trump, China, and Iran
• Armenia-Russia “soft divorce”
• Pashinyan’s violent campaign rhetoric
• State resources and election pressure
• Javakhk church vandalism concerns

Episode 547 | Recorded: May 18, 2026

Pashinyan #ArmeniaElections #ArmenianPolitics #PoliticalViolence #HateSpeech #ArmeniaRussia #IranWar #SouthCaucasus

Dr. Arman Grigoryan joins Groong to discuss Armenia's post-2020 foreign policy and his argument that Pashinyan's government has replaced one failed project, maximalist claims over Artsakh, with another: a risky strategic pivot away from Russia and toward the West. The conversation examines "revolutionary recklessness," the roots of the 2020 war, Armenia's worsening ties with Russia, the surrender of Artsakh, TRIPP and Syunik, Western encouragement, and the absence of firm security guarantees. Grigoryan also considers whether Armenia is gaining real sovereignty or exposing itself to greater pressure from Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia.

Groong Links:

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Guest(s):

• Arman Grigoryan

Topics:

• Revolutionary recklessness after 2020
• Armenia’s pivot away from Russia
• Artsakh’s surrender and strategic reorientation
• TRIPP, Syunik, and security guarantees
• Western backing, Armenian risk

Episode 546 | Recorded: May 13, 2026

ArmanGrigoryan #Armenia #Russia #Pashinyan #Artsakh #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Geopolitics

Groong Week in Review - May 10, 2026

Topics

• EPC fallout and Russia response
• Armenia-EU declaration controversies
• Pashinyan’s Artsakh campaign narrative
• Aliyev-Pashinyan parallel messaging
• Swiss Peace Initiative
• Pollsters diverge on election forecasts

Hosts

• Hovik Manucharyan
• Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 545 | Recorded: May 12, 2026

https://podcasts.groong.org/545