“I don’t know what Zelenskyy is talking about when he mentions losing. A person has lost 30 per cent of his country, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, and according to his own official statistics, 40 per cent of the population has fled the country,” said the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili.

Papuashvili responded to a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly, where he said, “We have already lost Georgia in Europe. Human Rights and the European nature and the state system are only shrinking there. Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova either.”

According to Papuashvili, the Georgian government is choosing to avoid making unnecessary comments about Ukraine’s ongoing war.

“Mr Zelenskyy is a tragic figure, not only because his country is at war but also because of how it is unfolding; that’s what makes it tragic. I don’t understand what he means by ‘losing’. A person has lost 30 per cent of his country, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, and according to his own official figures, 40 per cent of the population has fled. In reality, he has lost this population too, because it’s hard to imagine that the thousands of citizens who have been leaving Ukraine over the years, settling elsewhere and most likely remaining there, will ever return. These are the losses Mr Zelenskyy is experiencing.

Our stance remains clear: Ukraine is at war, and we avoid making excessive comments or assessments. Even though Zelenskyy’s special services reportedly sent Saakashvili here to sow confusion in Georgia, the Ukrainian government has done this to us. Ukraine intended to transit explosives through Georgia, or transport them in, risking the destruction of half the city, because they have their own hidden agendas.

Despite everything that Mr Zelenskyy is doing that could harm the Georgian people, we will continue to exercise restraint. However, I have two pieces of advice.

First, he should heed the advice of the U.S. President and hold elections, because the Ukrainian people will ultimately be the ones to have our say. For the harm caused to the Georgian people and the attempts we have observed on his part, accountability will come in due course, through the ballot box.

Secondly, he should consider the advice of the U.S. Vice President and show gratitude. Ingratitude, especially during a time of war, is deeply regrettable. When Mr Zelenskyy demonstrates ingratitude towards the Georgian government, which has consistently supported Ukraine in every way, through humanitarian aid, joining international statements and mechanisms, it amounts to a great disservice to the Georgian government and the Georgian people.

If he had nothing more to say, he could have used the limited time allocated to him at the UN General Assembly to mention Georgia once again. Perhaps, in the end, this also reveals how some individuals harbour malicious intentions towards Georgia,” said Papuashvili.