Benyamin Poghosyan - Ukraine and US-Iran, Fidan in Moscow, Lachin, Azerbaijan and Pashinyan attack Armenian Church, Impeachment vs. Elections | Ep 442, June 1, 2025

Groong Week in Review - June 1, 2025In this episode of Groong’s Week in Review, recorded on June 2, 2025, guest Benyamin Poghosyan joins hosts Hovik Manucharyan and Asbed Bedrossian to unpack a tense and volatile week in both regional and domestic politics. The conversation opens with rising tensions in the Ukraine war, as drone strikes reach deep into Russia, Germany lifts missile restrictions, and Trump labels Putin “crazy,” all while Iran nuclear talks remain frozen under hardline U.S. demands. The focus then shifts to the South Caucasus, where Turkish FM Hakan Fidan met Lavrov in Moscow to push the “3+3” platform and floated Istanbul as a summit venue for global powers. Meanwhile, Erdogan, Aliyev, and Pakistan’s PM Sharif staged a PR spectacle in Lachin to inaugurate a third airport in occupied Artsakh, signaling strategic realignments. Back in Armenia, the Pashinyans launched harsh verbal attacks on the Armenian Church just as Baku’s Grand Mufti claimed Etchmiadzin as Azerbaijani land, prompting questions of tacit coordination. The episode also revisits the impeachment debate versus opposition planning for the 2026 elections, probing whether security and corruption can drive real political traction. Finally, the hosts spotlight the rise of regime-aligned oligarch Narek Nalbandyan, whose sweetheart deals, state-enabled asset grabs, and government-backed expansion raise serious concerns about the erosion of anti-corruption values in Armenia today.TopicsStatus of Ukraine and US-Iran CrisesHakan Fidan in MoscowErdogan, Aliyev, Sharif in LachinAzerbaijan and Pashinyan Attack the Armenian ChurchImpeachment vs. ElectionsThe Kitchen SinkGuest: Benyamin PoghosyanHostsHovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 442 | Recorded: June 2, 2025SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/442VIDEO: https://youtu.be/oo_B7xhOVlMSubscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong