Parliament Speaker criticises Brussels’ pressure on Georgia over Russia sanctions, questions Western support

In a recent statement, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili addressed the pressure Georgia faced from Brussels since February 2022 to escalate measures against Russia.

These measures included imposing bilateral sanctions, closing borders, and shutting down airspace.

“After February 2022, we have received numerous demands from Brussels, urging us to escalate with Russia - by imposing bilateral sanctions, closing borders, restricting the sky. Nobody took interest in what would follow. What if things had gone wrong? What would have Georgia got? What is Brussels busy with after three years since the start of the war? A public statement on X. Is this what we should have hoped for?” the Speaker said.

Papuashvili emphasised that there was little concern from the EU about the potential consequences of such actions.

Reflecting on the possible outcomes, he questioned what Georgia would have gained if the situation had deteriorated.

He pointed to Brussels' current response, which, according to him, amounts to public statements on platform X. Papuashvili implied that such declarations would have been the extent of support Georgia could have expected.

His remarks highlight Georgia's cautious approach to the conflict and suggest skepticism about the level of tangible support from international partners in the event of escalation.