On January 29, Shalva Papuashvili, chairman of Georgia’s parliament, declared that the country would not impose sanctions on Russia or send troops to Ukraine.
“As we said four years ago that we would not impose bilateral sanctions, we are still saying that. Just as they said that we would not send the military there to fight, so now the state is not going to send military personnel to Ukraine,” Papuashvili stated in remarks released by his office.
The Georgian leader also noted that this policy had led to the recall of the Ukrainian ambassador from Tbilisi. He expressed hope that the recent appointment of a new Ukrainian ambassador would indicate a shift in Kyiv’s stance toward Georgia, which he characterized as having previously been hostile.
Separately, Mikhail Kalugin, director of the fourth CIS Department at Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on December 16 that Moscow is prepared to normalize relations with Georgia only if the country does not become a “bargaining chip” in geopolitical disputes involving Russia. Kalugin added that despite the lack of diplomatic ties between the two nations, they share active economic and trade links that provide tangible benefits.
