Georgian Parliament official: Western countries trade with Russia secretly while urging us to impose sanctions

Irakli Kadagishvili, the chair of the Georgian Parliament’s regional policy and self-government committee, on Friday commented on a recent study claiming that companies operating under British jurisdiction are helping Russia circumvent international sanctions.

In his remarks, Kadagishvili noted that countries that continue covert trade relations with Russia are simultaneously urging Georgia to impose direct sanctions on Moscow. He argued that such demands are unfair and inconsistent.

“We know numerous facts where Western countries, including the Baltic states, engage in trade with Russia through hidden arrangements. At the same time, they tell us to impose direct sanctions on Russia, which for our country would not only signal severe economic collapse but also the beginning of direct and serious confrontation with Russia”, he said.

A study by the UK-based Transparency International reveals that over 29,000 trade transactions, totaling $8 billion, have taken place between Russian companies and those registered in British-controlled jurisdictions since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.