Russian diplomat claims Georgia teetered on edge of civil strife amidst Western influence

Civil confrontation could have started in Georgia against the background of the elections held in the republic, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

“The people of Georgia, the country, were balancing - I hope it is in the past, although I see the destructive attitude of [former President Salome] Zourabichvili - balancing on the blade of civil confrontation,” the diplomat said, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

Zakharova also emphasized the willingness of Western countries to “go out of their way” to promote Zourabichvili in Georgia.

To recall, on January 9, Zourabichvili announced that she would continue to serve as president of Georgia despite the election of a new president Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer player and ally of the Georgian Dream ruling party.

Zourabichvili and the Georgian opposition do not recognize the results of the October 26 legislative elections in Georgia, which were won by the ruling Georgian Dream party. In addition, they also do not recognize the election of ex-footballer Mikhail Kavelashvili as the country's president in December 2024.

On January 8, Salome Zourabichvili got a new job at the McCain Institute of the University of Arizona in the United States. Her powers as president of Georgia officially expired at the end of December 2024 after Kavelashvili's inauguration.

By Khagan Isayev