Ukraine’s former Defense Minister denies pushing Georgia to open second front

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has dismissed claims voiced by Georgian Dream authorities that Kyiv pressured Tbilisi to open a second front against Russia, calling them “a complete lie.”

Speaking to Radio Liberty, Reznikov described the allegations as part of a broader Russian disinformation campaign. He questioned the strategic value of such a move, arguing that any military operation in Georgia would be short-lived and offer no serious benefit to Ukraine.

“What military interest or benefit should we get from this? The second front on the territory of Georgia would last, at best, for several days.

Any sergeant will tell you this,” Reznikov said. “Different terrain, different military strategy, different weapons. If something like this had been discussed during my tenure as minister, I would have definitely known about it. And I tell you with full responsibility – there was no attempt, no pressure from Kyiv. This has never been part of our policy.”

The GD authorities claim it had “saved the country” from being “dragged” into the conflict, pointing to interests of the “deep state” – an alleged global covert network.