Ukraine recalls ambassador to Georgia amid 'immoral position' of Georgian authorities

Zelensky recalled the ambassador to Georgia

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky recalled the ambassador to Georgia for consultations. According to him, the reason for this decision is the position of the Georgian government in relation to the war in Ukraine.

“We are immediately recalling the ambassador from Georgia amid Georgian government’s actions obstructing volunteers who want to help us, and for the immoral position of Georgian government on sanctions”, Zelensky said.

Why weren’t the volunteers able to leave?

On February 28, a group of volunteers from Georgia, with the assistance of the Ukrainian Embassy, ​​tried to take a charter flight from Tbilisi to Poland.

However, the plane that was supposed to pick up the volunteers, for unknown reasons, was not allowed into Georgia.

On March 1, the leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, said that sending military volunteers meant participating in the war, which the government would not do. He accused the opposition of trying to draw Georgia into the conflict.

“We are talking about sending a military force, all this proves that the only goal of the anti-state force, the so-called National Movement with its appendages, is to somehow involve Georgia in the war. There was talk of sending military force to a military conflict. Aren’t volunteers a military force? Zelensky asked the West to join the military conflict. But the West does not get involved”, Kobakhidze said.

• Georgian PM Garibashvili: no one can stop the war, sanctions are ineffective
• Op-ed: how can PM Garibashvili’s statements about Ukraine affect Georgia?

Refusal to impose sanctions

In addition, the Georgian government refused to impose any sanctions against Russia. This was stated on February 28 by Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, speaking at a government meeting.

“What are they asking me for? For me to impose sanctions on my people? And who will get hurt by them? Our population, our economy, more than a million of our compatriots who will not be able to carry out financial transactions”, Garibashvili said.

Social media reaction

“The Georgian “government” has officially joined the Russian camp. There are two reasons: fear of Putin and fear of (former president) Mikheil Saakashvili. That is the fear of losing power. They will definitely lose. They will not have a chance to stay in politics”, David Darchiashvili, a professor at the Ilia Institute, writes on Facebook.

However, not everyone shares this optimism.

“If Russia invades and captures us, no one in the whole world will cry for us. Don’t ask why this will happen. It’s just that Russia wants it and that’s it”, writes one of the users.

“So we will end the 33-year war with Russia? So let’s forget about April 9 (1989)? About August 8 (2008)? Is it because someone doesn’t feel like standing next to someone at a rally? I am not ashamed to stand next to anyone, and let me be used by any political force that does not drag us towards Russia”, writes another user.

Oppositionists and citizens are calling on people through social media to join a protest at 19:00 in front of the parliament building.

Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. For several days, heavy fighting has been going on for the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, as well as in many cities of the country. The Russian authorities say that the purpose of the invasion is a change of power, and the “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukraine.

Western countries have declared that Russia has made an unprovoked invasion of an independent country, and have imposed new sanctions against Russia, and provided assistance to Ukraine in a form of supply of weapons and humanitarian aid.