Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze declared that escalating Russophobia in Georgia is an artificial campaign orchestrated by external forces, primarily Western nations. Speaking at a briefing on August 12, the Georgian leader stated this sentiment constitutes “a qualitatively new stage of the storm against Georgia, the Georgian people and sovereignty.”
Kobakhidze asserted that Western countries have sought to involve Georgia in Ukraine since 2022, actions he described as a direct threat to internal security given the nation’s near-fragmentation. He emphasized that during this “existential moment,” the Georgian government rejected an alleged plan for implementing sanctions against Moscow—a move that reportedly frustrated external actors who subsequently targeted Georgia directly.
On August 4, Kobakhidze further noted that Georgian opposition voices began criticizing Russia only after receiving directives from representatives of what he termed the “deep state.” He argued that changes observed since 2022 did not emerge even following the August 2008 events, calling current anti-Russian sentiments “insincere.”
