The pro-Russian policy of the Georgian Government during the Russian war in Ukraine

This article was produced in the framework of the "Unprejudiced" project with the support of the Eastern Partnership Programme and the German Federal Foreign Office in autumn 2022.
Author: Tamta Natchkebia 

Ukraine, under the conditions of war, has worse relations with Georgia than with Kazakhstan - a state under the influence of Russia.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the government of Georgia confronted the Ukrainian government. The representatives of the Georgian Dream have repeatedly accused the leadership of Ukraine of "failing to avoid war", and have also made personal insults. The ruler party of Georgian refused to join Western sanctions against Russia. They also refused to allow Georgian volunteer fighters to fly to Ukraine.
At the same time, they never once criticized Russia. On the initiative of the ruling party, the parliament adopted a resolution supporting Ukraine, which does not mention Russia.
Also, they openly accused Georgia's western partners, including the USA, of trying to "draw Georgia into the war" in order to "open a second front in Georgia". Statements of representatives of ruler party are anti-western and pro-Russian.
All there indicates that the government of Georgia is not on the side of Ukraine.

"I have my own business, the war is in Ukraine"

On February 25, the day after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Georgian Dream disrupted the extraordinary session on the Ukraine issue requested by the opposition. The ruling party even locked the door of the session hall to the opposition MPs.

This anti-Ukrainian action of Georgian Dream was followed on the same day by Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili's anti-Ukrainian statement:
"[I will not go to the parliament], I have my own business, the parliament has its own business. The war is going on in Ukraine, and we are, of course, very concerned and very attentive to the developments in Ukraine." - said the Prime Minister.

According to Irakli Gharibashvili, the activity of the opposition on the issue of Ukraine is a "provocation" and an "attempt to repeat the disaster of 2008". - The current government of Georgia blames its predecessor for the fact that Russia invaded Georgia.

"Georgia does not join the sanctions"

Within a few hours of the invasion of Ukraine, Western countries immediately began imposing the toughest economic sanctions on Russia, Russian oligarchs and companies.

However, the Georgian government refused to do so. Moldova did not impose sanctions on Russia either, however, the difference between Georgia and Moldova was in rhetoric - the statements of the Georgian Dream government were strongly pro-Russian in nature.

"Georgia is not going to take part in financial and economic sanctions, as this will only damage our country and our population much more. Therefore I, as the head of the government and responsible to the people of our country, will lead only by the interests of our country based on national interests". - Irakli Gharibashvili said on February 25th.

He also added that he is not going to visit Ukraine and that "doesn't give him anything".

The citizens, as well as the opposition parties and the ombudsman evaluated the statements of the Georgian government as shameful. In the evening of February 25, a large-scale rally was held in Tbilisi as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. Gharibashvili's statements were also protested. 
At the same time, Gharibashvili's statements were evaluated in Moscow as Georgia's "recovery".

“Dragging Georgia into the war and the second front”

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Georgian Dream began to claim that the West wants to involve Georgia in the war, however, they will not achieve this goal. The ruling party accused both the European Union and the United States of America.

This rhetoric intensified after the adoption of the resolution by which the European Parliament called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Ivanishvili.
The representatives of the Georgian Dream and the "experts" affiliated with them said that it was not a criticism from the European Parliament, but an "attack on Georgia".

The propagandist of the ruling party, Zaza Shatirishvili, said that "despite great efforts, blackmail and pressure, the Georgian government did not join the war and is being punished for it."

The government TV company "Imedi" broadcasted messages that the USA wants to draw Georgia in the war. The US ambassador to Georgia, Kelly Degnan said several times that "statements that America wants to involve Georgia in the war are 100% Russian disinformation and FSB narrative".
On June 20 and 24, a pro-European and pro-Ukraine rally "Towards Europe" was held in Tbilisi, in which hundreds of thousands of people participated, including representatives of Western non-governmental organizations. At the June 24 rally, the organizers demanded the resignation of the Georgian government and the appointment of a technical government for 6 month to prepare early elections.

Video:
Demonstration from rfe/rl Georgian Service

The Georgian authorities assessed this request as a coup attempt.
On June 29, 3 MPs were formally separated from the ruling party. They said that they left the Georgian Dream because they wanted to tell more truth.

And the first thing they did was to attack the US ambassador in Georgia. MPs accused Kelly Degnan of "associating with NGOs and the opposition who want to compulsively change the government of Georgia".

After the departure of 3 deputies from the ruling party, several people left local governments of Georgia and joined the three who left before. They also attacked the US ambassador.

Attacks on Kelly Degnan directly by the government representatives - high officials continued after Nika Gvaramia, the director of the critical TV company, “The Main Channel”, distinguished by his sharp statements, was arrested on May 16, 2022 - judge Lasha Chkhikvadze found him guilty in abuse of authority during the leadership of independent TV company “Rustavi 2” and sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison. 
The fact is that as a result of studying the case materials, as well as taking into account the Georgian legislation, court practice, legal doctrine and the facts in the case, the fact of embezzlement of property rights, commercial bribery, production and use of fake official documents by Nika Gvaramia is not confirmed.

In a few days, it became known that the US Embassy removed Judge Chkhikvadze from the program, within the framework of which he was supposed to travel to the United States of America.
On July 15, Lasha Chkhikvadze accused the employee of the US Embassy of pressure.
Chairman of the Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze, said that "when there is an accusation from the judge that he was subjected to "very harsh pressure and direct interference" and questions are asked to the ambassador by government representatives, this is not an insult or an attack."

On July 20, US State Department spokesman Ned Price responded to the insults and attacks on Ambassador Kelly Degnan by Georgian Dream representatives and said: “Disinformation and personal attacks on Ambassador Degnan or her team are not consistent with how partners communicate with one another”.

Nevertheless, attacks on the US ambassador by the Georgian Dream government continued under several other pretexts.

While Ukraine is fighting against the military aggression of Russia, and the USA is helping it with several billion dollars, the actions and statements of the representatives of the Georgian government, directed against the representative of the USA, i.e. the USA, indicate their pro-Russian policy.

The European Union's rejection of Georgia's candidate status

On June 23, the European Commission supported granting candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, but not to Georgia.

The commission gave Georgia a 12-point actionable plan and recommended that Georgia be granted candidate status after solving a number of problems that exist in the country, including de-oligarchization, institutional strengthening, accountability, justice reform, and media independence.

If Ukraine were not winning, there would be catastrophic consequences for Georgia

Davit Batashvili, a specialist in international relations, a researcher at the Rondel Foundation, says that the change in Georgia's foreign vector began in 2012 - immediately after Georgian Dream came to power - the government of Georgia is informally run by Bidzina Ivanishvili, therefore, it is his personal decision to bring Georgia closer to Russia.
"From the very beginning, when the Georgian Dream government came to power, it started softening its positions with Russia and taking steps to support Russia. For example, releasing Russian agents from prisons. This continued and it is gaining more and more momentum and dynamics. Now Georgia is closer to Russia than ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“When you have a better relationship with someone who wants to destroy your state, i.e. Russia, than someone who doesn't want to destroy your state and vice versa, they help you, this is self-destructive and state policy. In addition, it seems that the policy of Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream is designed for the situation when Russia will prevail in this region", says Batashvili and adds that despite the opposite hopes of the Georgian Dream, Russia is failing in Ukraine.
 
"Russia will not be able to dominate in this region, since the Russian plan, the key part of which was to conquer Ukraine, has failed, buried and will never be implemented. Ukraine will not be defeated by Russia in this war. Therefore, Ivanishvili's entire empirical project could be implemented if Russia conquered and occupied Ukraine. Russia cannot do this.

Against the background of this and the wide confrontation with the West, it can be said unequivocally that Russia will not be able to dominate the region".

According to Batashvili, if Russia were to defeat Ukraine, the result would be catastrophic for Georgia as well. However, Ukraine is also fighting for Georgia.
"This would be the end of Georgia's sovereignty. In the situation when Russia is unable to win in Ukraine, the foreign political consequences of the political regime of the Georgian Dream remaining in power will not be as catastrophic as I talked about.

"However, the Georgian Dream has established authoritarianism in internal politics and this will continue. This will be the result for Georgia." - says the researcher.