'Georgia is starting to move in Putin’s direction': Interview with former FSB colonel
Former FSB colonel on Georgia
In an interview with Euroscopenews, former Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) colonel and now outspoken opposition figure Gennady Gudkov claimed that FSB officers are permanently stationed in Georgia and that the country is “starting to move in Putin’s direction.”
Gudkov served in the Soviet security services from 1982 to 1992. From 2001 to 2007, he was a member of the Russian People’s Party, which later merged with the current ruling party United Russia. Between 2007 and 2013, he was part of the opposition party A Just Russia.
In 2019, Gudkov left Russia. He was designated a “foreign agent” in 2023 and added to Russia’s “list of extremists and terrorists” in 2024.
“I understand why Georgian Dream is so attached to Putin,” Gennady Gudkov said in his interview. “As Russian oligarchs who know Bidzina Ivanishvili well have told me, there was an agreement between Putin and Ivanishvili: Putin wouldn’t obstruct his rise to power or the transfer of his multi-billion-dollar assets from Russia.”
“Putin kept his word. And of course, Ivanishvili has a serious moral obligation in return. It’s a rumour I’ve heard many times from various Russian oligarchs I know,” Gudkov claimed.
He also alleged that FSB officers are permanently present in Georgia, crossing the border using forged documents. According to Gudkov, this information came from high-ranking officials.
“It seems they [the FSB agents] are somehow cooperating with Georgia’s political leadership. Although some democratic elements still remain in Georgia and all is not yet lost, we are witnessing the country seriously shifting in Putin’s direction. The ‘foreign agent’ law is copied straight from Russia — and not just that. We’re seeing a repeat of the same steps that led to Russia’s submission under Putin’s regime.”
According to Gennady Gudkov, Russia poses a threat not only to Georgia but to the entire world — which, he says, responded far too late to Putin’s actions.
He believes that a ceasefire in Ukraine could redirect Russian aggression toward Georgia and Armenia — not through open warfare, but via coups, hybrid warfare, and other destabilising tactics.
“The number one deadly threat to the world is Putin’s regime — with its nuclear arsenal and utterly aggressive policies.”
At the end of the interview, Gennady Gudkov expressed hope that the Georgian people, through their willpower and courage, would steer the country back toward independence:
“I hope Putin won’t have the strength, resources or time to stop Georgia’s path to freedom. And I truly hope the Georgian people will have enough courage, resilience, determination and faith to overcome the obstacles. I believe the people will prevail.
Don’t give up. One cannot expect a government that has lost its conscience and sense of right and wrong to leave or change on its own. It takes daily struggle.”
