Ruling party Executive Secretary: United National Movement opposition wants repeat of 2008 war scenario
The GD official said the Government “will not allow [the opposition] to drag Georgia into the war” and questioned the origins of recent critical statements of Ukrainian authorities that have caused controversy on the Georgian political scene. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party wants to see a repeat of the scenario of the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, said on Monday.
The Georgian Public Broadcaster reported Mdinaradze on accusing the UNM - the largest opposition party in the country - of having the interest “to cause as much damage as possible to Georgia and the population of our country” with their actions on the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The GD official said the Government “will not allow [the opposition] to drag Georgia into the war” and questioned the origins of recent critical statements of Ukrainian authorities that have caused controversy on the Georgian political scene.
It begs the question of who really initiated these statements - the representatives of the Ukrainian authorities or the United National Movement. In fact, they, the same fifth column in Georgia, do not care about the fate of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, Mdinaradze alleged.
“They want to repeat the scenario of 2008 war in Georgia, when 20% of our country's territories was handed over to Russia [by the then government] and later, with the Council of Europe resolution, they blamed their own country and military forces for starting the war,” the ruling party’s Executive Secretary said, adding “we will not allow them to drag Georgia into the war.”
In his comments on Monday, Mdinaradze also expressed Georgia’s solidarity with Ukraine while expressing “regret” about the “negative statements” released by the Ukrainian authorities toward Georgia over the recent days since the start of the conflict.
Ukraine recalled its ambassador from Georgia for consultations last week, with President Volodymyr Zelensky citing the Georgian government's refusal to allow volunteers to take part in the conflict as the reason for the move. Some politicians in Ukraine also questioned the Georgian Government’s refusal to join international sanctions against Russia since the start of its invasion of Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine is “categorically unacceptable” and we all pray that it will end as soon as possible, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili told Monday’s Government meeting.
Despite challenges and provocations, the Government will maintain “peace, security and stability” for our citizens and for the country, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili told Monday’s Government meeting.
The Georgian Government has supported Ukraine “at all international levels” and will continue to do so on the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of the country, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili told a meeting of the Government on Monday.
The Georgian government has been clear in its statements of support for Ukraine, while there has also been “generous” humanitarian support extended from Georgia to the country under the ongoing Russian invasion, United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan told reporters on Friday.
Some political opponents of the Georgian Government are trying to drag the country into processes that will lead to economic collapse, Gia Volski, the First Deputy Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, said on Monday.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the ruling Georgian Dream party Executive Secretary, has denied claims by Yuri Shvets, a former Soviet intelligence officer, who on Sunday said Georgia and a number of other countries had held secret talks with the Kremlin to enable Russia to circumvent international sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine.
The State Security Service of Georgia has responded to rumours about “massive and uncontrolled” influx of foreign nationals - Russian and Belarusian citizens in particular - into Georgia over the recent days by rejecting the speculation and announcing state security is “under full control”.