Armenian News Network - Groong: Week In Review Podcast
Weekly review of Armenian News from https://groong.org. Keeping up with news related to Armenia and Armenians can be challenging; the sheer volume of news in the past few years has increased greatly, and the rise of the “Fake News” phenomenon contributing to the erosion of trust in the news media. The diversity of languages used by the worldwide Armenian community also poses a challenge for Armenian news; there is a significant portion of news that originates in Armenian, sometimes in Russian, and does not get adequately translated into English, or Western Armenian, for those in the Diaspora who are not proficient in Eastern Armenian. Finally, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the political turbulence in countries where significant communities of the Armenian Diaspora reside, be it Syria, Lebanon, the United States, etc., many of our friends and colleagues indicate that they’re simply overloaded with information and lack the time and energy to separate the good from the bad. So we’re creating this weekly digest of news and analysis that we find relevant to share with our friends and the wider ANN/Groong audience. Our goal is to provide a brief overview of the main headlines of the past week, and then cover a smaller set of the more important developments, curated by ANN/Groong editors and contributors who spend an inordinate amount of time daily to process Armenian news. We hope that over time this podcast will help our listeners in becoming more astute consumers of Armenian news. We will strive to provide a rich set of notes with each installation, with links to the most relevant articles and information as a starting point for your further investigation.
Episodes
Dziunik Aghajanian - Armenia Between Iran, Russia & the New Middle East Order | Ep 579, Aug 22, 2026
Conversations on Groong - August 21, 2026
In 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 ...
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...
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:
- Glo...
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.
...
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.
...
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 p...
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 t...
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...
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...
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 compe...
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 inter...
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, i...
Week in Review - July 12, 2026
In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed cover the 36th NATO summit in Ankara, escalating Iran war developments, and Armenia's removal of murals honoring fallen soldiers. We discuss NATO's defense spending surge, Trump's shift on Turkey and F-35 access, Ukraine aid commitments, and what these geopolitical shifts mean for Armenia and the South Caucasus amid ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace...
Conversations on Groong - July 11, 2026
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Dmitry Suslov about Russia's strategic position across multiple fronts: the Ukraine War, Armenia's post-election Western pivot, TRIPP and Syunik, and Europe's rearmament against Russia. We discuss the long-term confrontation between Russia and NATO, Pashinyan's Western alignment after the June 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, a...
Conversations on Groong - July 10, 2026
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Sergey Markedonov about Russia's strategic position amid the Ukraine War and its implications for Armenia. We discuss why Moscow remains bogged down in Ukraine despite its military superiority, how the war of attrition shapes Russian bandwidth for the South Caucasus, the geopolitical role of the Trump Route for International Peace a...
Week in Review - July 5, 2026
In this episode of Groong Week in Review for July 5, 2026, Hovik and Asbed analyze Armenia's Constitutional Court ruling upholding the disputed 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election results. We examine the disqualification of Prosperous Armenia votes, Civil Contract's three-fifths majority, the opposition's parliamentary leverage, and what these outcomes mean for Armenian sovereignty amid ongoing Armenia...
Conversations on Groong - July 3, 2026
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Amb. Dziunik Aghajanian about the Iran-Israel conflict, Armenia's 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election aftermath, and Israeli recognition of the Armenian Genocide. We discuss whether the US-Iran MOU represents genuine de-escalation or a tactical pause before renewed confrontation, the Constitutional Court's review of election fraud alleg...
Week in Review - June 28, 2026
In this week's Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discuss Israel's historic recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Russia's ongoing warnings toward Armenia, and the political uncertainty following the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We examine the geopolitical context behind Israel's decision, Pashinyan's measured response, and what these developments signal about Armenia's regional position a...
Week in Review - June 21, 2026
In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed examine the fallout from Armenia's 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Elections, the ongoing US-Iran War ceasefire negotiations and their regional implications, and escalating political persecutions following the vote. We discuss how six opposition parties-including Strong Armenia, Armenia Alliance, Prosperous Armenia, and others-have challenged the elect...
Conversations on Groong - June 23, 2026
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Arman Grigoryan about US-Iran negotiations and Armenia's contested post-election landscape. We discuss the prospects for a US-Iran agreement, its implications for TRIPP and Iran-Russia relations, the aftermath of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, and how shifting great-power dynamics reshape the South Caucasus.
Topics:
- US-...
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