Moscow claims "U.S. wants to change Georgian government"; Washington calls It "complete lies"
Russia accuses the U.S. of changing the government in Georgia
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claims that the U.S. plans to change Georgia’s government. The statement, published on the SVR website, aims to discredit the opposition and president Salome Zourabichvili.
Notably, the text of the official statement is written in a literary style.
Washington calls it “complete lies from a country that occupies 20 percent of Georgia’s territory”
What the Russian intelligence statement says: full text
“The press office of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation reports that the data received by the SVR indicates Washington’s resolute intention to achieve a change of power in Georgia following the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26 this year. The Biden administration has already developed a large-scale information campaign to discredit the ruling party, ‘Georgian Dream.’
The main plot lines of the scenario, concocted ‘in the best Hollywood traditions,’ have become known. With the White House’s characteristic anti-Russian fervor, the propaganda campaign will be based on a ‘sensational revelation’: Russia is to blame for all of Georgia’s troubles. The emphasis will be on accusations of ‘Georgian Dream’s’ ‘political dependency,’ threatening to steer the ‘ship of Georgia’ under red sails away from European shores.
The Georgian president, S. Zourabichvili, is expected to play a key role in stirring anti-government sentiments. According to the ‘Washington directors,’ the head of state will give an interview to an American media outlet, in which she will blame the Georgian government for the ‘degradation’ of the negotiation process for Tbilisi’s EU membership, warn the ‘broad public’ about the ‘catastrophic consequences of rapprochement with Moscow,’ and criticize the damage caused to Georgia by Russian relocants.
Through Zourabichvili, Washington intends to prepare voters for ‘a certain political surprise for “Georgian Dream” from the opposition,’ which may ultimately turn out to be another ‘color revolution.’
American ‘handlers’ have already instructed opposition forces in Georgia to start planning protest actions timed to the elections. The population of Tbilisi, ‘heated up’ in the spring of this year by anti-government actions related to the ‘foreign agents’ law, is expected to be the ‘battering ram’ against the authorities.
A ‘sacred victim’ from among the protesters is foreseen, which will direct the ‘people’s anger’ at the security forces. American provocateurs have considerable experience in this area. One only needs to recall the Kyiv ‘Maidan’ a decade ago, where hundreds of people, including Georgian sniper mercenaries, were ‘sacrificed on the altar of democracy,'” the statement reads.
- EU has suspended €30 million in aid to Georgia. The ambassador warned of further measures
- “Russia supports restoring diplomatic relations with Georgia,” says Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova
Response from the U.S. State Department
“It’s completely false. I think it’s quite obvious that it’s completely false. It’s not the first time Russia has made allegations like that with respect to U.S. involvement in Georgia and other countries around the world that have been completely false, and have been absurd.
And I would just point out the irony of the country, Russia, that is illegally occupying 20 percent of Georgia as we speak, making those absurd allegations about another country,” – U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated at a briefing on July 9.
The so-called “Georgian version” of the 2023 “coup attempt”
In September 2023, Georgia’s State Security Service (SSG) published a statement of similar content. There was already talk of a “Euromaidan” and “external threats,” with the coup organizers identified as ethnic Georgians working in the Ukrainian government and living in Ukraine:
- The plan’s author was named as Giorgi Lortkipanidze, deputy head of Ukrainian Military Intelligence, who was deputy interior minister under Saakashvili’s government, headed by Vano Merabishvili.
- Former bodyguard of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, Mikheil Baturin.
- Mamuka Mamulashvili, a member of Saakashvili’s inner circle and commander of the “Georgian Legion” operating in Ukraine.
The Georgian Security Service claimed that the training of young people to participate in the unrest is taking place near the Polish border. The SSG also identified several Ukrainian organizations allegedly involved in the process, according to their information.
“The organization ‘Canvas,’ which has ‘Otpor’ organization at its core, is being used to train youth groups for the revolutionary scenario,” the statement said. “These groups have already gained experience in organizing civil unrest in Serbia in the past.”
As for the scenario, the SSG of Georgia stated that several options were discussed, including the creation of a “tent city,” building barricades near central avenues and strategic objects, seizing government buildings, and barricading them.
The SSG of Georgia emphasized that the implementation of this plan is being coordinated and financially supported by foreign countries.
Russian propaganda about U.S. and Georgia
