Georgian PM: EU leaders’ war rhetoric fuels prolonged conflict

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said that the threat of war had not disappeared, stressing that the Global War Party was doing everything to place the entire burden of the Ukrainian issue on Europe, aiming to “kill two birds with one stone” by weakening both Europe and Russia.

In his remarks on behalf of the ruling Georgian Dream party's Political Council, Kobakhidze noted that under these extremely difficult conditions, the country “must exercise extreme caution” so that society did not succumb to the blackmail and provocations coming from the European bureaucracy and did not take a step that promised unconditional destruction for Georgia.

“As for the threat of war, it requires no deep analysis to see that this threat has not disappeared. The Global War Party is doing everything to place the entire burden of the Ukrainian issue on Europe, thereby attempting to kill two birds with one stone - simultaneously destroying both Europe and Russia. In this plan, the necessity of opening a second front in Georgia is just as relevant as it was at the start of the war. Moreover, this issue may now be even more crucial for the Global War Party”, the PM said.

“Today, the rhetoric of war from the leaders of EU member states is so intense that the military confrontation shows no end; everything is being done to prolong it. Maximum arming of Ukraine, supplying long-range weapons, intensifying sanctions against Russia, statements from retired generals that they are preparing for war with Russia in the near future - all this clearly shows the Global War Party’s plan for the Russia-Ukraine war to continue and escalate at Europe’s expense, which, as noted, should lead to the weakening of both the EU and Russia, and clearly, it will”, Kobakhidze continued.

He further pointed to EU members’ recent decision to allocate 5 percent of their GDP to defense spending, amounting to more than 15 percent of their national budgets.

“This step, dictated by the Global War Party, will turn European countries into militaristic states, which, on the one hand, further increases the risks of military escalation on the continent, and on the other hand, the increased military spending will further worsen the economic situation and social welfare of the EU. Under these extremely difficult conditions, we must exercise extreme caution so that society does not succumb to the blackmail and provocations coming from the European bureaucracy and does not take a step that promises unconditional destruction for our country”, the PM concluded.