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

Conversations on Groong - August 28, 2026 In 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 Caucasus Why the Soviet Union collapsed How the Cold War ended Reagan and Gorbachev's diplomacy America's post-Cold War triumphalism NATO expansion and Russian backlash Great-power rivalry in the Caucasus Armenia's geopolitical choices today Guest: Jack F. Matlock Jr. Hosts: Hovik Manucharyan Asbed Bedrossian Episode 580 | Recorded: Aug 27, 2026 SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/580 #JackMatlock #ColdWar #SovietUnion #Reagan #Gorbachev #NATO #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Armenia Subscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong