Is there a risk of escalation of the Georgian-Abkhazian? Survey in Abkhazia, video
Georgian-Abkhaz conflict
Is there a risk of escalation of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict in view of the ear in Ukraine? Where is Georgia going – to Europe or to Russia? JAMnews reporters asked residents of Abkhazia.
Context
Thousands of anti-Russian rallies in Tbilisi in early March 2023 caused great resonance in Abkhazia. “A new government may come to Tbilisi, which will be ready to open a second front,” Abkhaz politicians and experts say.
President Aslan Bzhaniya has also repeatedly mentioned the threat of attack from Georgia.
These sentiments are, at least in part, fueled by statements from Moscow. High-ranking officials of the Russian government have made statements about expected provocations and the threat of war.
- Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow is concerned about possible risks in relation to Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov compared the events in Tbilisi to Maidan in Kyiv. He said the protests against the bill were just a pretext for a forceful change of government.
- Speaker of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin said that Georgia is losing its sovereignty due to American pressure and it was the United States that organized large-scale protests in Tbilisi.
- The new “law on apartments” in Abkhazia
- “We don’t owe anyone anything.” Opinion on Abkhazia’s attitude to the West and to Russia
- Anti-Russian sentiment in Abkhazia?
Against the background of such statements in Abkhazia:
- Military exercises were held in the Gal region, populated mainly by ethnic Georgians.
- A reserve battalion has been created in Athos, and regular training sessions and training of reserve fighters are being held.
- Drones are being assembled from spare parts ordered in different parts of the world, according to Abkhaz opposition Adgur Ardzinba.
JAMnews reporters decided to ask local residents how they feel about this information and whether they feel a threat to their safety. The video includes several characteristic responses. The vast majority of respondents said that they do not see a military threat from Georgia, but they fear a change in the anti-war rhetoric of present-day Tbilisi if the government in Georgia changes.
There are also many who do not believe that Georgia can turn from the European path and really get closer to Russia.
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