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 integrate Russia into Western security architecture after the Cold War. We discuss the internal collapse of the Soviet Union, Reagan-Gorbachev diplomacy, NATO expansion and Russian backlash, and how Cold War-era decisions shape Armenia's geopolitical choices today, including Matlock's firsthand observations of Soviet Armenia during glasnost and the Nagorno Karabakh movement.Topics:Recollections from Soviet South CaucasusWhy the Soviet Union collapsedHow the Cold War endedReagan and Gorbachev's diplomacyAmerica's post-Cold War triumphalismNATO expansion and Russian backlashGreat-power rivalry in the CaucasusArmenia's geopolitical choices todayGuest: Jack F. Matlock Jr.Hosts:Hovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 580 | Recorded: Aug 27, 2026SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/580#JackMatlock #ColdWar #SovietUnion #Reagan #Gorbachev #NATO #Russia #SouthCaucasus #ArmeniaSubscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong