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

Arthur Khachatryan - Opposition Strategy, TRIPP, and the Russian Base | Ep 589, Sep 23, 2026

Conversations on Groong - September 23, 2026In 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....

September 23, 2026 • Episode 589 • 56:45

Armenia at 35: Independence, Loss, and Unfinished Wars | Ep 588, Sep 20, 2026

Week in Review - September 20, 2026In 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...

September 23, 2026 • Episode 588 • 43:37

Warwick Powell - From BRICS to AI: The Infrastructure Multipolarity | Ep 587, Sep 20, 2026

Conversations on Groong - September 20, 2026In 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...

September 20, 2026 • Episode 587 • 1:07:13

Hrant Mikaelian - Chips for TRIPP, Education Crisis, and Economic Risks | Ep 586, Sep 17, 2026

Conversations on Groong - September 17, 2026In 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...

September 18, 2026 • Episode 586 • 1:06:18

Gandzasar Erasure, Chips for Territory, Russian Money & Pashinyan in Space | Ep 585, Sep 13, 2026

Week in Review - September 13, 2026In 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 poli...

September 16, 2026 • Episode 585 • 47:42

Artsakh Remembered, SCO Theater, Russian Signals, and the Cucumber Paradox | Ep 584, Sep 6, 2026

Week in Review - September 6, 2026In 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, 19...

September 07, 2026 • Episode 584 • 56:27

Suren Sargsyan - Central Asia, TRIPP, Iran, and Armenia in the New Great Game | Ep 583, Sep 5, 2026

Conversations on Groong - September 5, 2026In 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 e...

September 05, 2026 • Episode 583 • 53:47

Armenia at the SCO Summit as Ukraine and Iran Wars Intensify | Ep 582, Aug 30, 2026

Week in Review - August 30, 2026In 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 ...

September 02, 2026 • Episode 582 • 59:59

Arthur Martirosyan - The Fourth Republic and the Politics of Erasure | Ep 581, Aug 29, 2026

Conversations on Groong - August 29, 2026In 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 op...

August 29, 2026 • Episode 581 • 1:09:07

Ambassador Jack Matlock - Did the West Fumble the Post-Cold War Peace? | Ep 580, Aug 28, 2026

Conversations on Groong - August 28, 2026In 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 integr...

August 28, 2026 • Episode 580 • 1:03:02

Dziunik Aghajanian - Armenia Between Iran, Russia & the New Middle East Order | Ep 579, Aug 22, 2026

Conversations on Groong - August 21, 2026In 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 ...

August 21, 2026 • Episode 579 • 59:30

Aliyev’s TRIPP, Russia’s Deadline, Iran’s Warning | Ep 578, Aug 16, 2026

Week in Review - August 16, 2026In 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 deepen...

August 19, 2026 • Episode 578 • 48:33

Richard Campbell - The AI Infrastructure Race and Armenia’s High-Stakes Bet | Ep 577, Aug 16, 2026

Conversations on Groong - August 16, 2026In 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 ec...

August 16, 2026 • Episode 577 • 1:26:40

Pashinyan’s Church War, the Russia-EU Choice, and TRIPP | Ep 576, Aug 9, 2026

Week in Review - August 9, 2026In 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 TR...

August 12, 2026 • Episode 576 • 48:41

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

Conversations on Groong - August 8, 2026In 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 spea...

August 10, 2026 • Episode 575 • 1:03:04

Tigranashen Unanswered, Russia’s Railways Challenged | Ep 574, Aug 2, 2026

Week in Review - August 2, 2026In 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 e...

August 04, 2026 • Episode 574 • 26:10

Pietro Shakarian - Memory Under Siege: From Stalin to Pashinyan | Ep 573, Aug 3, 2026

Conversations on Groong - August 3, 2026In 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 Gre...

August 03, 2026 • Episode 573 • 1:16:09

Christine Arakelian - Forever Wars, NATO 3.0, Armenia's High-Stakes Western Pivot | Ep 572, Jul 31, 2026

Conversations on GroongIn 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 ha...

August 01, 2026 • Episode 572 • 1:33:53

From Caspian Drones to Armenia’s Cold Winter | Ep 571, Jul 26, 2026

Week in Review - July 26, 2026In 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 ex...

July 29, 2026 • Episode 571 • 56:15

Archil Sikharulidze - Armenia and Georgia Between Russia and Europe | Ep 570, Jul 26, 2026

Conversations on Groong - July 27, 2026In 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 ...

July 27, 2026 • Episode 570 • 1:26:23

Anthony Barsamian - Armenia-Diaspora checkpoint | Ep 569, Jul 25, 2026

Conversations on Groong - July 25, 2026In 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 ...

July 25, 2026 • Episode 569 • 1:05:42

Iran War, TRIPP Money, and Armenia’s Political Purgatory | Ep 561, Jul 19, 2026

Week in Review - July 19, 2026In 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 ...

July 22, 2026 • Episode 568 • 47:44

NATO in Ankara, War in Iran, and the Scissors Over Armenia | Ep 567, Jul 12, 2026

Week in Review - July 12, 2026In 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...

July 15, 2026 • Episode 567 • 43:33

Dmitry Suslov - Ukraine’s Endgame, Armenia’s Crossroads | Ep 566, Jul 11, 2026

Conversations on Groong - July 11, 2026In 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, T...

July 11, 2026 • Episode 566 • 1:24:15

Sergey Markedonov - Ukraine, TRIPP, and Armenia’s Western Pivot | Ep 565, Jul 10, 2026

Conversations on Groong - July 10, 2026In 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 ...

July 10, 2026 • Episode 565 • 1:18:24