First Vice Speaker Volski: Georgia bears no grudge; despite Zelenskyy’s unfair criticism, it has never ceased supporting Ukraine

“Georgia is not at odds with anyone. Despite the entirely one-sided and discourteous assessments and attitude of the Ukrainian government and of President Zelenskyy personally, Georgia has never once ceased assisting Ukraine, including political support,” declared Gia Volski, First Vice-Speaker of the Georgian Parliament.

According to Volski, the persistent pressure to draw Georgia into active military operations lies at the root of the strained relationship between the two countries. However, he said, this is no reason to forgo dialogue and the outstretched hand.

“Providing military assistance would have meant entering the war, which is precisely what they were demanding, but that does not mean we should not talk. We must speak with Zelenskyy and remind him once more that there is not a single resolution or international forum in which Georgia has failed to stand in support of Ukraine. To this day, thousands of Ukrainian children are studying in Ukrainian-language sections within Georgian schools. Count the hundreds of Ukrainian students currently enrolled at Georgian universities, and draw your conclusions accordingly. I think reminding Zelenskyy of all this would not go amiss.

There is a great deal of damaging propaganda circulating in the media. Of course, relations could have been warmer. Georgia is a partially occupied country, and that too must be taken into account. The relentless pressure to drag Georgia into the fighting is what has given rise to the difficult relationship we now find ourselves in, but that is no reason to refuse to make time for one another, to talk, to shake hands. That is the very nature of world politics; today gives way to tomorrow, and with it may come entirely different strategic goals and perspectives. I hope that our relations with Ukraine will take a positive turn,” Gia Volski declared.

For reference, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the eighth European Political Community (EPC) summit. According to the Georgian government, the meeting was held at the initiative of the Ukrainian side, and the two leaders discussed the state of bilateral relations.