German MP highlights significant pressure on Georgian Gov’t to engage in confrontation with Russia

Andrej Hunko, a member of the German Bundestag, on Thursday said a significant amount of pressure had been placed on the Georgian Government to engage in a confrontation with Russia, but the Government refused - not out of pro-Russian sentiment, but due to concerns that Georgia could be destroyed in such a war.

In his speech at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Hunko highlighted the absence of the Georgian delegation at the current PACE session, noting that a decision was made in January to impose a form of sanction on the delegation, leading to their departure.

Reflecting on the October 26 elections and the preparatory period, Hunko stated that his observation, based on numerous election monitoring experiences, was that the level of violations did not significantly differ from previous elections or from some elections held in other Council of Europe member states.

He pointed out that the key change in Georgia was the country's geopolitical orientation following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“The Georgian Government came under significant pressure to get involved in this confrontation with Russia. The Georgian government refused to do so not because it is pro-Russian, but because the Georgian Government feared that their country would be destroyed in such a war”, Hunko said.

Hunko argued that it would be incorrect for Georgia not to be represented in the PACE.

“The Georgian Government, clearly with the support of the majority of the population, has embarked on this path not to be pro-Russian, but to stay away from any confrontation, to maintain neutrality. I think it is wrong if this is a reason to sanction or punish the Georgian delegation”, he continued.

He concluded by emphasising PACE's unique position as a platform for dialogue and warned that the absence of Georgia would be detrimental.