Georgian president slams external pressure to fight Russia amid Ukraine conflict

Georgian President Mikhail Kavelashvili has revealed that external forces pressured Georgia to engage in the war with Russia following the start of the Ukrainian conflict, leaving the country isolated in the face of a nuclear power.

In an interview with Radio Courtoisie, as per Caliber.Az, Kavelashvili shared his views on the situation, stating, “We were left alone with a nuclear power and promised, ‘let us provide you with weapons.’ Young pro-Europeans urged us to go to war against Russia. They forced the then government to do so. The question arises: ‘Should Georgia have participated in this war?’”

According to Kavelashvili, calls for Georgia’s involvement in the conflict began immediately after the hostilities broke out in Ukraine.

“We were urged to join sanctions, send volunteers, and support the war, while we are neither members of NATO nor the European Union,” he added.

The Georgian president emphasized that the people of Georgia played a crucial role in defending the country’s national interests, and he criticized former President Salome Zourabichvili’s stance during the conflict. “One day history will recognize that we saved the country. We had to tell the truth to our citizens. It is a pity that then President Zurabishvili stood behind the back of Moldova and Ukraine,” Kavelashvili concluded.

In response to statements by former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis at the recent Munich conference, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili condemned what he sees as hypocrisy in calls for war. “Judging by the statements of a part of European politicians, they want to defeat Russia, however — by the hands of Ukraine, and that the fight should be fought not on their own territory, but somewhere else. Calls for war at the expense of others is hypocrisy,” Papuashvili said.

Papuashvili further emphasized the Georgian government’s decision to resist pressure to send volunteers or apply sanctions against Russia, stressing that the government prioritized the country’s security. “Negotiations launched on the third anniversary of the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war should be aimed at peace, not war, and they should be conducted by responsible states, not those who want to satisfy their interests at the expense of others,” he stated.