Kiev’s imposition of sanctions against Georgian officials speaks of the grave situation of the Ukrainian authorities. This was stated by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze at a briefing on Thursday, Novosti-Gruzia reports.
“The imposition of sanctions in itself is an event that speaks of the grave situation of the Ukrainian government… Today, the situation of the Ukrainian government is even more difficult, and the probable decision we are talking about is an echo of this difficult situation,” he said.
He recalled that on March 1, 2022, Kyiv recalled its ambassador from Georgia, citing non-joining sanctions against Russia and the refusal to send volunteers to Ukraine with “official permission from the government” as a “pretext.”
“Here, the real intentions were revealed. There was a plan that not one front should be opened, but two fronts, and, of course, the decision that the Ukrainian authorities made at the time was a continuation of this. Then there was the expulsion from Ukraine of our ambassador, a man who had not left Kyiv for a single day since the beginning of the war. Why did they expel him? Because Russia, with our hands, so to speak, killed Saakashvili through torture,” Kobakhidze said.
According to him, the Georgian authorities will remain in the “regime of one-sided friendship with Ukraine,” since they value this country and its people.
“Whatever decision the Ukrainian authorities make, we remain loyal to this country and people and, of course, we are in solidarity with them,” the Georgian Prime Minister added.
Earlier it became known that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions against the Georgian leadership for dispersing opposition protests.
According to a document published on the website of the Ukrainian president, restrictions were imposed on 19 people. In particular, the founder of the Georgian Dream party, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, head of the State Security Service Grigol Liluashvili, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, as well as a number of judges and members of the Georgian parliament, fell under Kiev’s sanctions.