Adventures of Russians in Georgia. “Let them sit in their homes and mourn” |
of Russia Ukraine of Georgia in the weeks following the attack judge The “Georgian Dream” party refused to join the international sanctions against Russia. This action caused the anger of most of the population, and the party chairman, a millionaire, the former Prime Minister of the country Bidzina Ivanishvilionce again proved his loyalty to Russia.
At the same time, the Georgian government of Ukraine landed the plane carrying the Georgian volunteers who were going to fight on his side. Following this Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky recalled his country’s ambassador to Georgia, and harshly criticized the Georgian government’s actions stemming from its “immoral position” regarding the war.
This action of the government is not against Georgia’s Russia, Europe He seriously worried those who wanted to get closer to the European Union (EU).
Capital in the 1990s in Moscow Ivanishvili is currently in Georgia political he does not hold any official position in his life. However, analysts believe that he controls the “Georgian Dream” party behind the scenes.
“This has been clear for many years. However, Yanukovych (of Ukraine It is meant that the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, who was overthrown in 2014 – ed.) is ruling the government. The government, which from time to time says that it is pro-EU in order to soften the public opinion, is by nature and nature of the people’s war and Russia is a collaborationist regime that uses its fear as leverage,” – opposition “Europe Georgia” party leader Giga Bokeria he says.
For Georgians, Russia’s attack on Ukraine is bloody 20It is associated with the war of 08. That war resulted in Russia recognizing Georgia’s territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. Tbilisi severed diplomatic relations with Moscow.
As a result of the conflicts created by Russia in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia the number of people registered as displaced people has reached 300,000.
As a result of the opinion survey conducted by the Tbilisi-based Analysis and Consulting Team in March, it was found that 87% of the population considers the war in Ukraine to be Georgia’s war as well. Although the details of the two conflicts differ, Russia The state’s claim to the territory of the former Soviet republic is a worrying factor for most Georgians.
“‘Georgian Dream’ is completely in line with what Russia says. They attack the West and Ukraine, accusing them of trying to drag Georgia into war. They are doing this to stop support for Ukraine. They understand that their position is far from the position of the Georgian people, so they try to manipulate public opinion. They say that if you resist Russia, look what will happen to you and it’s not worth doing.” – the leader of the opposition Droa party Elene Khoshtaria he says.
“‘Georgian Dream’ Russia with supposedly ‘normalization; policy has not irritated Moscow, it is to give way to the Kremlin’s geopolitical interests and at the same time cling to power as tightly as possible. – Director of the Georgian Institute of Politics Cornelius Cacacia he says.
“They (judge party) do not want EU membership. The situation they are in is such that 85% of the population of Georgia is pro-EU. Therefore, they cannot oppose it and do not want to go out. Especially after the massive march in support of the EU. Therefore, they did everything possible to avoid accepting the nomination. Gvaramiani (dissident journalist) imprisonment they did, they took steps backwards in the field of justice, they are going backwards in all issues”, – Khoshtaria says.
Instead of the candidate status, the EU gave Georgia a list of reforms it should implement. One of the reforms that Georgia needs to implement in order to be a candidate for EU membership is to commit to “de-oligarchization”. This is a blow to Ivanishvili and his role in the politics of “Georgian Dream”.
Apart from the “Georgian dream” turning away from Europe, the arrival of a large number of Russians in the country also causes division among people. Georgia since February 10About 0,000 Russians are reported to have arrived.
Although public opinion on this varies, many voice their moral and personal dissatisfaction: while the bloody war is still going on, Russians in Georgia should spend their time and resources helping Ukraine, not complaining and eating and drinking. “They should not be visible. The war has destroyed me and I cannot leave the house. Russians protest if they don’t, at least let them sit in their homes and mourn.” – says the owner of a gallery in Tbilisi. He is also the President of Russia rather than feasting and drinking Russians Vladimir Putin is the author of posters calling for protest against his regime.
Citizens and opposition politicians also voiced demands regarding the introduction of a visa regime for Russians. Many worry that Georgia is accommodating Putin’s wishes for the Russians, and that the FSB could easily fill the country with agents and subversives.
“I think it was in Putin’s interest to get rid of a part of the population. Otherwise he wouldn’t have let them go. “Georgian Dream” did not take any action against it, according to what it released. – Khoshtaria says.
As a result of a recent poll conducted by the International Republican Institute, it was found that 78% of Georgians are against the visa-free entry of Russian citizens into Georgia. But in addition, the arrival of many Russians brought a lot of money to Georgia’s weak economy. “Reuters” international institutions in Georgia of economic growth for 2022 10% will increase.
There are also those who consider the flow of Russian money as a threat to Georgia’s stability. “If we are civil Europe If we plan to be a part of the world, it is dangerous to depend on Russian money and resources. Our goal should be to direct all our dependencies to European markets. – Khoshtaria says.