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

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

The Constitutional Court has ruled, now what? | Ep 564, Jul 5, 2026

Week in Review - July 5, 2026In 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 ...

July 08, 2026 • Episode 564 • 53:06

Dziunik Aghajanian - Iran War, Election Aftermath, Russian Warnings, Israeli Recognition | Ep 563, Jul 3, 2026

Conversations on Groong - July 3, 2026In 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 recognit...

July 03, 2026 • Episode 563 • 1:23:25

When Israel Recognizes and Yerevan Dodges | Ep 562, Apr 25, 2026

Week in Review - June 28, 2026In 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 ...

July 01, 2026 • Episode 562 • 38:56

Iran Talks, Election Challenges, and Political Retaliation | Ep 561, Jun 21, 2026

Week in Review - June 21, 2026In 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 impli...

June 24, 2026 • Episode 561 • 41:49

Arman Grigoryan - US-Iran Negotiations, Post-Election Armenian Politics | Ep 560, Jun 23, 2026

Conversations on Groong - June 23, 2026In 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-Ira...

June 23, 2026 • Episode 560 • 1:24:34

Hrant Mikaelian - Election Aftermath and Polls in Armenia | Ep 559, Jun 20, 2026

Conversations on Groong - June 20, 2026In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Hrant Mikaelian about the disputed aftermath of Armenia's June 7, 2026 parliamentary election. We discuss allegations of electoral fr...

June 20, 2026 • Episode 559 • 59:59

Armenian Parliamentary Election, US-Iran Agreement | Ep 558, Jun 14, 2026

Week in Review - June 14, 2026In this episode of Groong Week in Review for June 14, 2026, we analyze the aftermath of Armenia's 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, shifting Armenia-Georgia relations, and a landmark interim US-Ir...

June 16, 2026 • Episode 558 • 44:40

Arthur Martirosyan - After the Anger, What Next? | Ep 557, Jun 10, 2026

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

June 11, 2026 • Episode 557 • 1:11:30

2026 Elections: A Mandate Under Dispute | Ep 556, June 7, 2026

Week in Review - June 7, 2026In 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 irregulariti...

June 10, 2026 • Episode 556 • 49:26

Spotlight on Silence: Selective Justice in Armenia’s Election Campaign | Ep 555, Jun 6, 2026

Spotlight on Silence - June 6, 2026In 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 Parliamenta...

June 06, 2026 • Episode 555 • 54:18

Philippe Raffi Kalfayan - IODA's Second Mission and Armenia's Dire Election Climate | Ep 554, Jun 4, 2026

Conversations on Groong - June 4, 2026In 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 ...

June 04, 2026 • Episode 554 • 1:07:51

May 28, Rubio’s Armenia Deals, and the Cost of Strategic Drift | Ep 553, May 31, 2026

Week In Review - May 31, 2026In this episode of Groong's Week in Review, hosts Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia's May 28 Independence Day parade as campaign theater, Marco Rubio's push for critical minerals deals, and the strategic...

June 02, 2026 • Episode 553 • 55:38

Sergey Markedonov - Russia-Armenia Relations Before the Vote | Ep 552, June 1, 2026

Conversations on Groong - June 1, 2026In this Conversations on Groong episode, Hovik and Asbed speak with Dr. Sergey Markedonov about the sharp decline in Russia-Armenia relations before Armenia's June parliamentary elections. The...

June 01, 2026 • Episode 552 • 1:18:24

Arthur Khachatryan - Armenia Alliance in the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election | Ep 551, May 31, 2026

Conversations on Groong - May 31, 2026In 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 d...

May 31, 2026 • Episode 551 • 1:04:04

Rubio Visit, New MPG and IRI Polls, Hidden Votes and Why Are You Alive? | Ep 550, May 24, 2026

Week in Review - May 24, 2025This 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...

May 26, 2026 • Episode 550 • 59:50