European Commission raises alarm with Georgia over Russia sanctions bypass

EU letter to Georgia on sanctions

A European Commission spokesperson, Anita Hipper, explained the contents of a letter sent to Georgia over concerns that Russia may be evading Western sanctions.

The Georgian authorities received the letter from the EU Special Representative, David O’Sullivan. According to Hipper, the correspondence relates to the implementation of Western sanctions, and similar letters were sent to other countries. A journalist from Formula TV asked Hipper about the letter.

What ties owners of Georgian factory to son of senior Russian military intelligence official?

It was previously reported that Russian company Russneft delivered the first shipment of oil to the recently opened refinery.

Maka Bochorishvili, foreign minister for the ruling Georgian Dream party, said she had received a letter of thanks from the European Union, praising Georgia for fulfilling its commitments under EU cooperation and for diligently ensuring that the country is not used to circumvent sanctions.

“We can confirm that we sent a letter to the Georgian government. It concerns Georgia’s commitment not to allow EU sanctions to be circumvented. We are engaging with all countries on this issue as part of our broader global outreach.

We are still awaiting a response from the Georgian authorities and urge them to take additional measures to ensure that Russia does not attempt to bypass sanctions [with their help],” said Anita Hipper.

Georgia helps Russia evade sanctions, study finds

A report by the British think tank, the Foreign Policy Centre

Meanwhile, the British research organisation Centre for Foreign Policy published an article examining how Russia is circumventing Western sanctions, claiming that Georgia sits at the centre of the scheme.

According to the article, Western sanctions on Russia, introduced following its invasion of Ukraine to curb the Kremlin’s military budget, have instead created a “sanctions bubble” — an adaptive ecosystem of offshore jurisdictions and intermediaries that turn the restrictions into a source of profit.

“At the heart of this system is Georgia, which has become a strategic intermediary and a key player in Russia’s sanctions-evasion network. Georgia leverages its geographical location, financial infrastructure, and political flexibility,” the Centre said.

Shalva Papuashvili, head of the ruling Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, commented on the investigation: “They can contact Mr O’Sullivan [the EU sanctions coordinator — JAMnews] and find out whether Georgia is being used [by Russia] to bypass sanctions. He will answer instead of us.”

EU letter to Georgia on sanctions