Russia “Suffers from Ancient Imperial Motives,” Says Georgian President

President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili has decried “the clear aggression against Ukraine by Russia” and expressed “full solidarity with our friendly Ukraine and not only with Ukraine, because the threats that exist are in reality threats against the security of Europe.”

President Zurabishvili made her strongly worded remarks against Moscow at the joint press conference with her Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in Tbilisi International Airport late on February 3. President Duda had a short stopover in Tbilisi on his way to Beijing, that is hosting Winter Olympics starting today.

“Those aggressive actions, threats, be it cyberattacks or a direct increase of military forces directly on the Ukrainian border, or the activation of the same military forces on the Black Sea, all these are signs of how much Russia’s current policy is to go to provocation,” highlighted the Georgian President.

She hailed the whole European, Western world for responding the Russian policy with negotiations, and efforts to resolve the peacefully. “But for deescalation, as for peaceful negotiations, it is essential that both sides be prepared,” she said.

In this very tense situation, I want to express on behalf of Georgia our full solidarity with our friendly Ukraine and not only with Ukraine, because the threats that exist are in reality threats against the security of Europe, and if we talk about the security of Europe, it is also our security, stated the Georgian President.

In her words, Georgia’s solidarity to Ukraine is not just verbal solidarity since Georgia “has already suffered and is still suffering from occupation, and so we understand very well what the people of Ukraine feel today.”

The Georgian President then praised Poland’s directly supporting Kyiv and for backing Georgia on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration. She also thanked European and American allies for not forgetting Georgia and its sovereignty and territorial integrity during the negotiations with Moscow.

“Today, we have no path but peaceful ways in face of global challenges and those who do not understand this, those who suffer from ancient imperial motives, do not understand the world of the 21st century,” noted President Zurabishvili.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)