Parliament Speaker highlights “unbelievable” messages, pressure on Georgian Gov't amid war in Ukraine

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday drew attention to what he described as “unbelievable” messages directed at Georgia and the pressure exerted on its Government amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Papuashvili's comments came in response to an interview given by Evelyn Farkas, the Executive Director of the McCain Institute, to the Georgian edition of the Radio Liberty in September 2022.

The Speaker accompanied his social media message with an explanation regarding the video collage, stating that it features three different individuals delivering the same message to the Georgian authorities at three different times.

In a shared video, Farkas said: “Georgia is less at risk from Russia today... Putin is losing in Ukraine... He cannot open a new front”.

When the journalist questioned whether Russia still had the resources to escalate tensions in Georgia, Farkas responded: “So what? So what?”

Papuashvili pointed out that this seemingly offhand remark actually reflected the attitude of Western political elites toward Georgia and its security.

The Speaker continued by reflecting on the three years since the start of the war in Ukraine, noting the increasing “horror” of recalling media materials that showcased the positions and approaches of “war-mongering groups” towards the region.

He identified Farkas' 2022 interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Georgian service as a prime example of the “false and insidious vision” of pro-war American and European figures, both formal and informal, who urged Georgia to “align its political vectors”.

Papuashvili then listed several points he attributed to this viewpoint:

• 2022 was a time when a window of opportunity was open, and Georgia should not miss the moment.
• Today there are new challenges, and the Government of a small country must find a way to contribute to gain a place at the table.
• The Georgian Government should be more actively involved in sanctions against Russia.
• Georgia has not done enough to move to the front line; it has lacked effort and has fallen behind Ukraine and Moldova.
• Georgia faces no imminent threat of Russian invasion because Russia is losing in Ukraine and lacks the resources for a new front.
• Russia might provoke tensions in Georgia but cannot occupy the whole country. Meanwhile, the West and the international community will stand with Georgia, just as they do with Ukraine.

“The reality is that what we hear from Evelyn Farkas is not just one individual’s personal opinion. It represents a collectively crafted and shared position - an orchestrated action plan promoted by our so-called “well-wishers” through various channels”, he continued.

Papuashvili further emphasised that behind closed doors, these messages were even more direct and explicit, stating that diplomats had echoed them, visiting emissaries had reinforced them, foreign-funded parties and NGOs had repeated them - “a window of opportunity”, “if it’s war, we must fight”, “stand on the right side of history”, “better to burn in flames than live in shame”, “so what?”

He added that while the messengers had changed, the message remained unchanged, “as if it were drawn from a single playbook”.

“Today, as we witness the new US administration’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine and observe the battlefield situation there - seeing what three years of war have brought upon the country - it is clear how Georgia avoided a meticulously planned scenario. A scenario that sought to drag our nation into a conflict teetering on the edge of nuclear confrontation”, the Speaker pointed out.

Papuashvili further stressed that this interview vividly exposed the pro-war elite’s mindset at the time - “Russia is weak, Ukraine is winning, we must defeat Russia on the battlefield”, emphasising “of course, all of this was to be achieved at the cost of someone else’s sweat, someone else’s blood, and someone else’s tears”.

“This military-political doctrine directly aligns with reopening old wounds in Georgia and provoking a repeat of the 2008 conflict with Russia. If Georgia had fallen for the call to military adventurism, any resources Russia allocated to our conflict would have been diverted from the Ukrainian front, thereby giving Ukraine a greater advantage”, he continued.

“And “so what?” Was it not worth sacrificing Georgia’s life for the victory of global interests?”, the Speaker added.

Papuashvili pointed out that the pro-war elite’s game in world politics was far from over, noting “we are witnessing the resistance to peace efforts in Ukraine. This is a global process. However, the Georgian Government’s primary responsibility is to its homeland and national interests. This is the mandate the people granted us on October 26, and we will see it through to the end”.

In a postscript, Papuashvili noted Farkas's role as the “first and central figure” who linked Donald Trump's 2016 presidential victory to Russian interference, a claim later found to be false.