Georgia’s fifth President slams state of defence as international exercise halted

Georgia’s fifth President, Salome Zourabichvili, has voiced serious concern over the current state of the country’s defence forces, warning that Georgia’s sovereignty and internal independence were closely tied to their condition.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Zourabichvili used the occasion of Defence Forces Day to offer cautious congratulations, while raising alarm over what she described as a decline in the military’s development and standing.

“I don’t know how much congratulations are needed when we look at the state of our defence forces,” she said. “On the one hand, the insults and discredit that were inflicted on them in the so-called commission [on previous government’s actions], and on the other hand – and this may be even more difficult for us and the future – the fact that none of the international exercises are being held today.”

Zourabichvili pointed to the suspension of joint military exercises with international partners, a move she characterised as a serious setback for the Georgian armed forces. “Our army has been developing in recent years through these exercises, and the raising of standards depended on this,” she noted.

She warned that the current trajectory posed a broader national threat, claiming “this is a great pain for the entire country, because our sovereignty, independence, and our internal independence also depend to a great extent on the state of our defence forces.”

Georgia has long relied on international military cooperation, particularly with NATO and the United States, for training and support. Georgia’s ties with western allies have worsened following the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Georgian Dream government’s move late last year to halt the country’s EU integration until 2028.