In a comment to the Telegraph, Anton Kuchuhidze, co-founder of United Ukraine, said that despite Georgia's refusal of military-technical cooperation with Ukraine, inter-parliamentary friendship groups have a strong and constructive dialogue. As a result, many successful humanitarian projects in support of Ukraine were implemented.
In addition, the people of Georgia unquestionably support Ukraine at all levels and condemn Russian aggression, while the country's government takes a rather bizarre and illogical position regarding the war. Given the strategic planning of foreign policy interests, Georgia should act in unison with the collective West.
"Having declared a course toward the EU and NATO, the Georgian authorities still operate with an eye on Russia. They are reluctant to enter into a confrontation with the Russian Federation. However, the war between these states has been ongoing since 2008, and Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain occupied. The Russians unilaterally recognized their independence and placed their military bases in these territories. Russia's loss in the war with Ukraine would open an opportunity for Georgia to raise the issue of the return of its territories," the expert notes in a comment to the Telegraph.
The fear of harming relations with the Kremlin stems from commercial factors, Anton Kuchuhidze believes. Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Georgia has become a popular destination for tourism among Russians, and business persons from the Russian Federation are increasingly considering this country for temporary residence. In addition, there are reasons to believe that some Russian companies intended to circumvent Western sanctions through Georgian jurisdiction.
"The government of Georgia should decide whose side they are on during this difficult period for Ukraine. Otherwise, in the future, it may hinder Georgia's European integration and complicate its dialogue with the West," the expert noted.
Source: "Телеграф"
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