Former US President Bush: US will “never cease” to call on Russia to end occupation of Georgia

Former United States President George W. Bush on Monday addressed participants in the international conference Glory to Ukraine in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi by saying the US would “never cease to call on Russia to end its occupation of 20 percent of Georgia’s territory and to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

In his address, Bush stressed Georgian people knew “very well the threats” coming from the Kremlin. 

One thing has remained constant over the years: the desire and commitment of the Georgian people to live freely and to lead the country towards institutions such as NATO and the European Union”, he noted.

“We will never stop calling on Russia to end its occupation of 20 percent of your country's territory and to respect your country's sovereignty and territorial integrity”, he added.

Bush also spoke about “challenging times” on the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but expressed his confidence that “freedom will prevail”. He also paid homage to the US, Georgian citizens and “brave fighters all over the world” in his remarks.