Georgian PM denounces radical opposition for advocating for measures that could have led to military escalation amid war in Ukraine

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobahidze on Thursday accused the country’s radical opposition of advocating for measures that could have led to military escalation and Georgia’s involvement in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Speaking to journalists, Kobakhidze noted that the domestic opposition had demanded both Georgia’s alignment with international sanctions against Russia and the official authorisation of Georgian volunteer fighters to join the war in Ukraine.

The Government head stressed that these demands were not only reckless but also posed a direct threat to national security.

“You remember, the rallies organised by the radical opposition in Tbilisi began on February 25 [in 2022], and they had two main demands: one was to join the sanctions [against Russia] and the other was to send volunteer fighters to Ukraine with the official consent of the Government. Then the Ukrainian Government recalled their Ambassador from Georgia on these two pretexts, and you also remember the reaction of the radical opposition and their patrons to this”, the Prime Minister said.

He further noted that the domestic opposition blamed the Georgian Government, not the Ukrainian Government for recalling their Ambassador from the country.

“None of them came out at that time and said that the decision of the Ukrainian Government was unfair and the demand regarding the sanctions, as well as regarding the sending of volunteer fighters, was absolutely anti-state. [...]. The archive is not destroyed, and this archive shows that they demanded to join the sanctions, to send volunteer fighters”, he continued.

“Moreover, they said that they were ashamed of being Georgians because we did not join the sanctions and did not send volunteer fighters to Ukraine. This meant a direct escalation, the involvement of Georgia in a military conflict, the entire radical opposition joined these demands on the orders of their patrons”, Kobakhidze concluded.