Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili: Photo: REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has responded to discussions among Georgian volunteers fighting on the side of Ukraine about a possible return home to participate in protests against the ruling party. She said that such a decision is part of a provocative campaign and does not reflect the real situation.
Zurabishvili made the comment during a briefing after a meeting with leaders of political parties that contest the results of the recent parliamentary elections and are actively protesting in Tbilisi. This information was reported by Time Ukraine Israel, citing Hromadske.
Provocation to destabilise the situation
According to the president, reports of the possible return of Georgian military volunteers fighting for Ukraine are absolutely false. “This is a provocation aimed at spoiling the situation around the protests,” Zurabishvili said. She also called on protesters to be careful, as there may be representatives of the State Security Service among them who could manipulate the protests for their own purposes.
At the same time, several commanders of Georgian volunteer units at the front in Ukraine have expressed their readiness to return home to join the protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party. This was stated by the leaders of the Caucasian Legion Giorgi Kesareli, Gocha Khorava of Tbilisi and Vako Suladze of the Black Eagle. The military added that they are waiting for a “signal” from the president regarding the possibility of their return.
Political situation in Georgia
Georgia is currently experiencing a political crisis caused by concerns over the results of the parliamentary elections. The opposition did not recognise them as legitimate, accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party of fraud, including the improper use of administrative resources, and political pressure on voters. The European Parliament stated that it would not recognise the results of these elections and called for new ones.
In response to these events, numerous protests erupted in the country. In particular, on 29 November, Georgian security forces used force to disperse a protest near the parliament, detaining more than a hundred demonstrators. Subsequently, street actions did not stop, and new rallies are scheduled for 1 December.
Unpredictability and consequences
The government’s actions, including the brutal crackdown on protests, only added fuel to the fire, turning the political crisis into social tensions. Among other decisions that contributed to the escalation of the protests was the announcement by the Georgian Dream party that it would not negotiate accession to the European Union until 2028, which triggered a new wave of discontent.
The plan of the Georgian volunteers to return home and take part in the protests remains in question, but according to Zurabishvili, their participation could be used to destabilise the situation inside the country. The Georgian authorities assure that such steps will not contribute to a peaceful resolution of the political crisis and will only deepen the split in society.
The potential return of Georgian volunteers from the frontline in Ukraine to participate in the protests, according to the authorities, is nothing more than an attempt to destabilise the domestic political situation. At a time when the country is on the verge of a deep political crisis, such actions will only complicate the search for a peaceful solution to the conflict, as called for by international organisations.
