Ruling party MP: Ukrainian lawmaker’s claim on lack of Georgian support “immoral”

Davit Matikashvili, an MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday rejected a comment by Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko on an alleged lack of support from the Georgian Government for the country in its defence from the Russian invasion as “immoral”.

The response followed remarks by Honcharenko, who earlier during the day said Ukraine was “grateful for the support of the Georgian people, but is very dissatisfied with the fact that the Georgian Government has not helped Ukraine at all” in the ongoing conflict.

In his comments, the Georgian MP accused his counterpart of the intention of “sparking fire in Georgia and opening a second front” of the war. Matikashvili also said the Ukrainian legislator was “either missing the reality or his statements serve to discredit Georgia”.

Russian armed forces are stationed 50 kilometres from Tbilisi [and] 20 percent of the country has been occupied by Russia. [...] To say Georgia is not helping Ukraine is a bit immoral. This serves the purpose of seeing the second front opened [in the country]”, he said.

Matikashvili also accused the Ukrainian counterpart of being a part of the “war party” - an allegation used by Georgian Government officials in reference to domestic and foreign political forces they have accused of attempts of involving Georgia in the conflict.

He added Honcharenko represented the forces that did not like the “economic growth and success that Georgia is achieving”.