Georgian PM hopes Ukrainian government’s attitude will change, does not intend to set preconditions, ready to stay in one-sided friendship mode

“What matters most to us is that peace be restored in Ukraine. Regarding preconditions, we cannot and will not set any. Moreover, despite the extremely unfriendly actions taken by the Ukrainian government, we have maintained a stance of one-sided friendship, and we intend to continue in that very mode,” declared Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, in his remarks to journalists.

According to the head of government, Ukraine is a friendly nation, and the Ukrainian people are warm and welcoming. He emphasised the importance of restoring peace in Ukraine.

“We cannot set any preconditions for Ukraine; it is a country at war. My first wish for Ukraine is peace. Ukraine is a friendly country, the Ukrainian people are a friendly people, and it matters enormously to us that peace be restored in Ukraine. You know the state to which the ongoing war has reduced Ukraine: infrastructure destroyed, the economy in ruins, a dire humanitarian situation, countless lives lost, and approximately ten million people who have left the country. What matters most to us is that peace be restored in Ukraine.

Regarding preconditions, we won’t set any. Moreover, despite the extremely unfriendly actions taken by the Ukrainian government, we have maintained a stance of one-sided friendship, and we intend to continue in that very mode. Accordingly, we have no plans to impose any preconditions on the Ukrainian authorities. We do hope, however, that the Ukrainian government will change its attitude towards the Georgian people and, accordingly, towards the Georgian government.

As a reminder, when we did not impose sanctions and did not send volunteers to fight in Ukraine with official endorsement, the response was the recall of Ukraine’s ambassador from Georgia. Subsequently, our own ambassador, who had not left Kyiv for a single day since the outbreak of the war, was in effect expelled from the country. Beyond that, there were direct calls from the President’s chief adviser, from the Secretary of the Security Council regarding the opening of a second front, and so forth. We hope that this attitude on the part of the Ukrainian government will change. But whatever the case, we naturally have no intention of setting any preconditions. In all circumstances, we are prepared to remain in a mode of one-sided friendship,” declared the Prime Minister.