In an interview with Rossiya Segodnya, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov firmly dismissed recent claims of Russian interference in Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections. Lavrov rejected allegations that the Kremlin has ties to Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, calling them “outright falsehoods” and accusing the United States of projecting its own conduct onto Russia.
“The Americans are eager to accuse us of the very practices they themselves engage in,” Lavrov remarked, criticizing Washington for what he termed a “self-created myth” of Russian meddling in elections both at home and internationally. According to Lavrov, whenever election outcomes challenge US interests, “America immediately blames Russia” for the voters’ “incorrect” choice.
Lavrov also addressed what he described as unprecedented Western interference in Georgia, including what he called “undisguised pressure” on both Georgian officials and the electorate. He suggested that the United States and its European allies are framing Georgia’s elections as a binary choice between aligning with Russia or the West, a tactic he believes forces post-Soviet countries into a “false dichotomy.”
Russian minister contended that the real decision for Georgia lies between “sovereign development based on national interests” and “external control,” as well as between “traditional values and externally imposed neoliberal standards.” He asserted that the Georgian people have made their choice, which Russia respects, and reiterated Moscow’s willingness to normalize bilateral relations with Tbilisi going forward.
