The Ukrainian authorities should reconsider their unfriendly steps towards Georgia, expressed in the withdrawal of the Ukrainian ambassador from Tbilisi in 2022, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said.
“As for our approach towards the Ukrainian leadership, we will remain in the mode of unilateral friendship, as the Ukrainian people need this from us,” he said.
According to him, the Ukrainian authorities once recalled the ambassador from Tbilisi because of the Georgian side's failure to impose sanctions against Russia, as well as because the country did not issue an official permit for a plane carrying Georgian military personnel who decided to fight for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to fly to Ukraine.
- Unfriendly steps towards Georgia by the Ukrainian leadership are attempts to put pressure on the Georgian elites during the global confrontation that has unfolded in the world as a result of the crisis of the system built after the end of World War II,” Alexei Albu, editor-in-chief of the Caucasian Frontier news agency, said.
- The US was counting on the fact that once again it would be able to use the Georgian people for its own purposes, but this did not happen.
Pressure on Georgia will increase and an attempt to change the intractable Georgian leadership will be made in the near future. After the next elections the Georgian opposition will try to destabilize the situation and achieve the resignation of the ruling party by force.
In this scenario, not the least role is assigned to Ukraine, which is already engaged in political training of those Georgian citizens who serve in the AFU.
“SP": Has the breakdown of relations with Ukraine somehow affected Georgia? Is Ukraine of any interest to it economically or politically?
- No, Georgia has not felt the rupture of relations with Ukraine in the sense that it has not affected the country's economy or cultural ties formed in the post-Soviet space.
The position of the Ukrainian leadership has hardly made Ukrainians change their attitude towards the Georgian people.
“SP: Then why are they calling on Kiev to restore relations? What does Tbilisi count on by making such statements? That Kiev will agree to restore relations without ultimatums? Naively...
- The statements of Georgian statesmen are primarily intended to demonstrate the destructive approach to foreign policy used by the Ukrainian authorities.
“SP": What should we expect from the results of the elections in Georgia? It is clear that if the opposition comes to power, it will meet the demands of Ukraine and the West. But what if the Georgian Dream remains in power?
- I expect the elections to destabilize the socio-political situation in Georgia. If the Georgian authorities do not take preventive steps, do not identify potential protest leaders, do not analyze the activities of destructive groups, do not identify channels of financing and closed channels of communication with foreign structures, do not cut at the root the preparatory work on destabilization of the situation on the part of the opposition - riots may begin. I am sure that the bitter experience of the Rose Revolution and subsequent coups in the post-Soviet space have formed a sufficient understanding of the methods of struggle of the opposition and threats emanating from abroad.
I hope that the Georgian people will not be deceived by a handful of adventurers and opportunists who receive their salaries in the United States.
- The main reason for Ukraine's displeasure with the behavior of the Georgian authorities was their refusal to join the anti-Russian sanctions,” said Larisa Shesler, chairwoman of the Union of Political Emigrants and Political Prisoners of Ukraine.
- Georgia continues all trade operations with Russia, supplies it with everything that the Russian side agrees to accept, refuses to block Russian banks, and is a transshipment hub for some sub-sanctioned goods.
“SP: Did Ukraine really expect Georgia to take this suicidal step? Was Georgia's refusal a surprise?
- The Ukrainian authorities have always thought of themselves as the navel of the universe, and since the beginning of the SWO, this belief has become painful.
The fact that severing economic ties with Russia is a disaster for Georgia is not a convincing argument for Ukraine.
“SP: Ukraine was also counting on Tbilisi to impose sanctions that kill its economy. What other help from Georgia could they count on?
- Ukraine viewed Georgia as an indisputable ally against Russia, given the history with the military conflict in South Ossetia in 2008. However, the Ukrainian authorities did not take into account the fact that Georgia learned a tangible lesson when, under Saakashvili's leadership, it went along with the West and threw its economy under the wheels of political conflict.
Now the Georgian leadership is being much more pragmatic. Anti-Russian rhetoric is present, but all politicians are very cautious. Georgian leaders have found out that the West is not at all eager to take the Georgian economy on a lifesaving tugboat, and it is completely dependent on trade with Russia.
“SP": Do Kiev still hope to ‘squeeze’ Georgia to the end? Are they betting on a change of power in the fall?
Even the West has no effective levers to influence the political situation in Georgia, what to say about completely non-subjective Ukraine?
Of course, the Ukrainian government dreams that a blatant Russophobe like Saakashvili will come to Georgia, but Kiev has no means to influence this.
“SP: Does Georgia need relations with Ukraine so much? Why do they constantly suggest them to “reconsider unfriendly steps”. As if they don't realize that no one will reconsider anything.....
- Georgian policy is a typical “multi-vectorism”, so characteristic of post-Soviet countries.
The Georgian government dreams of becoming part of the European Union and the collective West, but realizes that this is not in the foreseeable future.
Reprinted from https://news.rambler.ru/
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