Georgia has “zero chances” to join EU under current Gov’t – Ukraine’s Podolyak

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Sunday claimed Georgia had “zero chances” of joining the European Union under the current Georgian Dream Government, ahead of the bloc’s decision later this year whether to grant Georgia its membership candidate status. 

 

In his interview for the Youtube channel Freedom, the Ukrainian politician accused the Georgian Government of being “pro-Russian”, and added the impeachment procedures announced by the ruling party against President Salome Zurabichvili for her unauthorized EU trip this month was part of its “pro-Kremlin” stance. 

 

Podolyak said Tbilisi would be unable to join the EU due to the current Government’s “absolute rejection of European values, the maximally pro-Russian, genocidal type of behavior, demonstrative humiliation of its former President [Mikheil Saakashvili] and the current President”. 

 

He claimed Josep Borrell, the EU High Commissioner, had attempted to show a “right way” to its potential partner while in Tbilisi last week on his first official trip. 

 

“Borrell made it clear that to go next to Russia, to go in the Russian direction, is to follow a ‘famous Russian ship’, he said. 

 

The Georgian Dream lawmakers have condemned the remarks as “anti-Georgian” and “hostile”. 

 

“Podolyak, like the ‘radical’ United National Movement opposition party, will never make a decision on Georgia’s EU integration. It is very disgusting when a representative of a country at war with Russia makes statements against Georgia that are in line with Moscow’s goals”, Rati Ionatamishvili, the GD MP said on Tuesday. 

 

Giorgi Vashadze, an opposition MP, however, called the Ukrainian official as a “friend of Georgia” and claimed the latter had “actually” said the same as Borrell “that the Georgian Government has turned the country into a platform for pursuing Russian interests”. 

 

Teona Akubardia, a fellow opposition MP, claimed on Tuesday she shared the view that Georgia could not join the bloc under the current Government due to “absence of willingness” in the ruling power,  but stressed Ukrainian officials needed to be “more caution” when commenting on Georgia’s internal policies not to harm “friendship” and the “common struggle”.