Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and no one imposed sanctions on it for the move. Our war was not a war and Ukraine’s war is a war, where is the logic? Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili said in his address to the Qatari economic forum on Wednesday, during its panel discussion. 

He said following Russia’s conflict with Georgia in August 2008, the European Union and the United States had proceeded with doing business with Russia, before adding Georgia’s economy would “collapse” if Tbilisi imposed individual sanctions on Moscow. 

Garibashvili said following the 2008 conflict, Russia occupied 20 percent of the county’s territory and built its bases on its de facto regions. 

“Therefore, my question to my European, American friends is the following - my dear friends, you have been doing business as usual with Russia, you have not imposed sanctions on it. The European Union has paid Russia 2.3 trillion dollars until 2022, nobody stopped doing business with Russia, nothing happened. In this situation, I would like to confirm once again that we support Ukraine, the Ukrainian people. We want this war to end as soon as possible. We have joined more than 500 resolutions in support of Ukraine”, Garibashvili said.

Calling the Russia-Ukraine ongoing conflict the “biggest challenge for European security since WWII”, the PM claimed it “affects all”. 

He also said approximately 20 percent of the Ukrainian territory had been occupied by Russia so far and added “nobody knows what may happen. I do not see enough efforts from the international community to take proper measures to encourage consultations, to encourage peace talks”. 

In her latest comments earlier this month, Kelly Degnan, the United States ambassador to Georgia, said the west was unable to properly assess the Russian president’s “imperialistic plans” when it attacked Georgia in 2008. 

She stressed, however, intensifying ties with Russia on the backdrop of its aggression against Ukraine, and when the west was distancing itself from Moscow, was unlikely to benefit Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. 

A part of domestic opposition has openly accused the current government of being “pro-Russian”, claiming it is trying to “demonize the west” in the public’s eye to push the country to Russia.