Mayor Kaladze: Look at trade figures between European nations and Russia since Ukraine’s war broke out

“This is a prime example of a double standard, a textbook example of how the European Union, in this instance, should not behave,” stated the Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, in response to a journalist’s question regarding the EU’s increased purchases of natural gas from Russia, even as it demanded that Georgia impose sanctions on Moscow.

“We are told that we must sever all trade ties and impose sanctions on Russia. We know full well that doing so would not harm Russia in the slightest, but it would damage our own country, our people, and those families who work around the clock to provide for themselves.

Naturally, these demands were made deliberately to cripple the Georgian economy. However, we act strictly in the interests of our nation and take every step to ensure our decisions benefit, first and foremost, our country, our people, and our national interests.

It is not just natural gas they are buying; take a look at several European countries and their trade data over recent years since the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine war. Look at how they have continued doing business, while calling on us to cut off trade relations. The whole thing is disgraceful,” stated Kakha Kaladze.