Ukraine’s MFA warns Georgia against rapprochement with Russia
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Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry considers Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s decision to lift a visa ban on Georgian citizens and resume direct flights to the country as political compensation for Georgia’s refusal to impose sanctions against Russia, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko wrote on Facebook on May 11.
He reiterated that a normalization of relations between the countries is taking place amid the occupation of 20% of Georgia’s territory by the Russian army.
“In 2008, Russian planes already flew to Georgia to bomb the civilian population,” he said.
“They’re now planning to bomb the European future of Georgians.”
Nikolenko added that Russia is not interested in Georgia’s path to the European Union and NATO. He said that Moscow is aiming to create conditions under which progress is impossible, like in Belarus.
The spokesperson emphasized that this policy of rapprochement with the aggressor country is not a popular one within Georgian society, who have repeatedly expressed their position publicly, including during protests.
“In this context, we express our solidarity and support to Georgians in their legitimate desire to build a prosperous European state within its internationally recognized borders,” he said.
Commenting on recent events, the diplomat added that Russia is offering Georgia a “bargain with the devil.”
“And in a deal with the devil, as you know, the devil wins,” he said.
The Foreign Ministry calls on the Georgian government to synchronize its policy towards Russia with EU policy, as well as refrain from actions that reject Georgia’s further European movement.
On May 10, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin unexpectedly lifted a visa ban for Georgian citizens and resumed direct flights to the country.
Russia’s Association of Tour Operators said the first flights could begin in late May.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili called Russia’s actions “another provocation.”
Russia introduced a visa ban on Georgian citizens in 2000. At the same time, Russians have been able to enter Georgia without visas since 2012, following a unilateral decision by the Georgian government.
After the Russian invasion and the five-day war with the occupying army, Georgia severed diplomatic relations with Moscow in 2008. Direct flights between the countries were halted in 2019.
In early 2023, despite Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, proposed resuming flights with Russia, but Zurabishvili spoke against it.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry called this proposal “political meanness amid Russia’s attempts to destroy Ukrainians in a genocidal war.”
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Georgia has taken a neutral position, refusing to impose sanctions against Russia and provide military aid to Ukraine. At the same time, Tbilisi provides humanitarian aid and has accepted Ukrainian refugees.
However, Georgia also became a country where Russians fled to en masse after the announcement of mobilization in Russia in September 2022.
As of February 2023, Russian citizens have already opened 100,000 bank accounts in Georgia. Russians are also massively buying real estate in the country and opening businesses.
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