Georgian President highlights “foreign-influenced” threats, ‘Trump’s effect’ in annual address

In his annual speech to Parliament on Tuesday, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili warned that the country’s security “remains under constant threat from foreign-backed forces seeking to destabilize the nation”.

Addressing the spring session, Kavelashvili emphasized that the “danger to Georgia’s stability will persist until the war in Ukraine concludes” and “groups with foreign interests within Georgia are weakened”.

“The threat will remain high until the war in Ukraine ends, and the groups pursuing foreign interests in Georgia are further weakened,” Kavelashvili claimed. He recognized the “critical role” played by the Georgian people in protecting the country from internal and external threats, calling recent years a period of survival. He credited the population with making “prudent, patriotic decisions that helped avoid war and revolution”.

The President also stressed that Georgia’s statehood and values have become prime targets for its adversaries. “Our statehood, our national values, and the will of the Georgian people are the main targets of Georgia’s ill-wishers,” Kavelashvili declared, urging the country to remain steadfast in its pursuit of peace and to act solely in its national interests.

Shifting focus to Georgia’s relations with the United States, Kavelashvili expressed optimism about the new administration under President Donald Trump. He credited the changes in US politics, which he described as “the Donald Trump effect,” with bringing a shift in global dynamics that aligns with Georgia’s values. “The ongoing processes in the US and its impact on the world have convinced the Georgian people of the correctness of our policies,” he said, highlighting the shared commitment to peace, national sovereignty, and traditional values.

On the international front, Kavelashvili also criticized the treatment of Georgia by certain European partners, accusing them of “applying double standards that harm the reputation of European values”.

“Double standards, unfortunately, have become a daily occurrence for Georgia,” he lamented, stressing that the country “deserves better treatment, especially after a long struggle to align with European ideals”.

In his closing remarks, the President reaffirmed that Georgia must continue “prioritizing its national interests”, “strengthening its peacekeeping role, and safeguarding its sovereignty in the face of both external pressures and internal challenges”.