Georgian Gov’t “repeatedly tried” to warn relations with Kyiv – Defence Minister

Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze said on Thursday that the Georgian Government had “repeatedly tried” to warm relations with the Ukrainian authorities, without receiving proper responses. 

Speaking to the media on the 14th anniversary of fallen Georgian soldiers in the Russia-Georgia 2008 war Shindisi battle, Burchuladze claimed that the Ukrainian officials had a “wrong narrative towards the Georgian government”. 

“We have repeatedly tried to warm up personal relations with our Ukrainian brothers. I think the narrative of the Ukrainian Government towards the Georgian authorities is not correct”, Burchuladze said. In an interview with the opposition-minded Mtavari channel earlier this week,  the advisor of the administration of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, stated that the Georgian officials “should change their tone and if they cannot do this, then they should reduce their public speeches on the topic of Ukraine”. 

He stressed that “while Russia is killing civilians in Ukraine and the country is defending itself, no one can blame the Ukrainians”. 

In their earlier comments, the Ukrainian officials accused Tbilisi of supporting Russia to circumvent international sanctions, which Tbilisi strongly condemned, demanding evidence. 

Podolyak claimed that “if there was a need” Kyiv would provide “legal proofs” via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

The Georgian Dream Government members said that Kyiv had “no evidence”, and that several Ukrainian officials were cooperating with the “radical Georgian opposition to overthrow the Government”.