Karasin calls Georgian President’s claims over threats of inflow of Russians “delusion”

Grigory Karasin, the Chair of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, has called the claims by Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili with CBS that “one day” Russia may use its citizens in Georgia for its own goals, a “delusion”. 

 

“Salome Zourabishvili is still parasitizing about the topic of Russia. Now the lady, who barely escaped impeachment, is nervous about the Russians living in Georgia who ‘speak the language of the enemy”, Karasin said. 

 

The former Deputy Foreign Minister also said the President “sees this as a prerequisite for Russia to declare a full-fledged war and is in favor of banning Russian citizens from entering the country. We can call such a public statement nothing but delusion. I am sure they understand this in Tbilisi as well”. 

 

In his comments Zourabichvili said about 100,000 Russians entered Georgia following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year and added “It is very irritating when you have people in your country who speak the enemy’s language and who believe they are in their own home”. 

 

She also said Russia could use the people in the future to ‘justify’ its attack against Georgia citing the “interests and protection of its citizens”.