Kyiv ‘deeply disappointed” by Georgian gov’t speculations on dragging Georgia into war – Ukrainian official

Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson in the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday said Kyiv was “deeply disappointed” by the claims of the Georgian authorities over “dragging the country” into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying such reports benefited “narrow, domestic political goals”. 

The comment came on the heels of the recent address of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Georgian government and the people to “save the life” of currently imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili – a citizen of Ukraine – and ensure his transportation abroad for treatment. 

Responding to the calls, members of the Georgian Dream ruling party said the arrival of Saakashvili in Georgia in September 2021, after eight years in self-imposed political exile, was a “part of a special operation” which aimed at “dragging the country” into the Russia-Ukraine conflict and sparking internal unrest. 

“What kind of insinuations do some Georgian politicians resort to in a bid to avoid responsibility for gross violations of human rights in Georgia? Ukraine has never interfered and does not plan to interfere in Georgia’s domestic affairs. At the same time, we are deeply disappointed that the Georgian government is speculating on the topic of war in Ukraine in order to achieve narrow domestic political goals”, said the Ukrainian official. 

He also called on the Georgian authorities to ensure the rights of the former president and allow his transportation either in Ukraine, or in Europe or America on medical grounds.