Political Scientist Reveals Kremlin's Plan In Georgia

The Georgian authorities are already openly beginning to fulfill Russia's demands.

Mass protests are taking place in Georgia because of the law on "foreign agents", which is copied from the same Russian law. During yesterday's protest action in Tbilisi, the police used riot control weapons: water cannons and rubber bullets. President Salome Zourabichvili supported the protesters.

What was the ruling Georgian Dream party really up to? The Charter97.org website spoke about this with Petro Oleshchuk, a Ukrainian political scientist and professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv:

— Indeed, this law was copied from the Russian act in many respects, which caused the claims of Georgians. However, in this story, the main reason is not the law itself, but the fact that the European Parliament has already made a corresponding resolution because of this law. It contains a proposal to deprive Georgia of the status of a candidate for EU membership.

If the law on "foreign agents" is finally approved, this will block the prospects for Georgia's European integration for an indefinite time. For many residents of Georgia, this is a matter of principle. It suggests similar to the Ukrainian Euromaidan action in Georgia.

I see that the Georgian authorities are openly fulfilling Russia's demands. Putin once again needs to show a kind of "triumph", they say, again "the threat is coming, everyone wants to seize influence in the post-Soviet space." Frankly speaking, if such a scenario is realized, Georgia will face bad times. The pressure will increase. I do not exclude that all this will end with the introduction of Russian troops to "restore order".

You know, they need to show how to “solve” these issues correctly. Not "as in Ukraine", but as it is right. The Russian Federation traditionally uses Georgia as a kind of testing ground for developing influence technologies in the post-Soviet territories. We remember the sequence: the war in Georgia — the war in Ukraine.

Probably, the Kremlin is considering such scenarios for the entire post-Soviet republics: to block European integration, provoke protests and use it to return the country to the orbit of its influence.

— The ruling party, Georgian Dream, allegedly stands for joining NATO and the European Union, but at the same time, it is called pro-Russian. Why?

— It implements a pro-Russian policy. This is very clearly seen in the example of Georgia's attitude to Russia's war against Ukraine. The Georgian authorities constantly take a position that until recently could be called "latently pro-Russian". They do not seem to officially support Russian aggression, but at the same time resumed flight connection with the Russian Federation during the war. They refuse in every way to support Ukraine and the like.

They de facto take a pro-Russian position. Until recently, the Georgian Dream could not openly voice this, because it was afraid of the mood in the Georgian society, where support for Ukraine is significant. However, the Georgian government constantly makes statements and gestures convenient for Russia.

We can say that the Georgian Dream simulates all the processes of integration into NATO and the EU. I understand that their goal is to achieve the disruption of European integration not by them, but by Europe itself.

Let's recall the situation with Mikheil Saakashvili. His demonstrative detention in prison in serious condition was in itself supposed to block Georgia's European integration, but Europe preferred to pretend that the problem could be solved.

Then the Georgian authorities go further, raising the degree. I do not see any sense in the law on "foreign agents", except to provoke Europe to withdraw Georgia's candidacy for EU membership.

I repeat, the strategy is simple: to ensure that Europe itself refuses the European integration of Georgia. Then they will say, “We did everything we could, and they just don't want to see us there. You see, it is better to build relations with Russia, which wants to be friends with us."