Parliament Speaker highlights support for Ukraine “on all platforms”

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the Georgian Government had managed to provide “full solidarity” to Ukraine in its defence from the ongoing Russian invasion while ensuring security of its own citizens. 

In an interview with PalitraNews, Papuashvili said “no country” had crossed their own limits on risks of confrontation with Russia in their responses to the conflict that broke out in late February.

No country has crossed the threshold of escalation [to the point] that they think would lead to a confrontation with Russia. Of course, it is difficult to say exactly where this line is - it is politics and it is difficult to determine it. This is the difficulty that our Government is facing, to see this line at the right time and to ensure that Georgia is not directly involved in a military conflict”, Papuashvili said.

“All countries are trying, on the one hand, to be supportive [to Ukraine], and on the other hand, not to aggravate the issue so much and not to enter into such a spiral that will lead to a direct military confrontation with Russia”, he pointed out.

[U]nlike all the other countries that are on Ukraine's side, [we] do not have the security umbrella of NATO, we do not have the umbrella of economic solidarity of the European Union, and a contingent of the Russian armed forces is present on our territory”, Papuashvili also noted in reference to the ongoing Russian occupation of two Georgian regions.

The head of the legislative body also noted the Georgian Government had co-authored the International Criminal Court appeal that called for an investigation of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

The official also stressed the Government’s support for Ukraine was “visible on all platforms” and said its position was “exactly the same” as that of EU and NATO member countries supporting Ukraine in the conflict.