Speaker: European leaders’ remarks on peace plan reveal interests of some EU countries

“If previously Ukraine’s consent was required for any peace agreement, now Europe has been added, which is thought-provoking,” the Georgian Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, stated.

According to Papuashvili, the statements indicate that certain political groups in Europe may have direct interests in this war.

“It is noteworthy that yesterday, for the first time, we heard European leaders say that any peace plan must have the consent of both Ukraine and Europe. It seems the European Union was meant. Until now, it was said that Ukraine must agree to any peace agreement; now, Europe has been added as an actor in that agreement. This is thought-provoking and once again brings to mind the concerns that are being discussed even within the EU — that some European countries have their own interests in this war. The current US Secretary of State referred to this war as a proxy war. These knots are being untied, and it is becoming clearer that certain European political groups indeed have direct interests in this war.

We have understood these interests in different ways — political groups in some Baltic states have openly said that as long as the war continues in Ukraine, they themselves are safe. Some even appear interested in prolonging the conflict. Others have said that Ukraine is Europe’s first defensive line. For them, waging this war was important in order to weaken Russia,” he noted.

Papuashvili emphasized that while some European leaders describe this war as Europe’s own, none of their countries are directly fighting.

“If some European leaders claim this is Europe’s war — the EU’s war — then why did they pour more money into Russia’s economy than they gave to Ukraine? Since the beginning of the war, they have given Ukraine €181 billion, while paying Russia €210 billion for energy alone. In total, Russia received €310 billion from Europe — meaning Europe transferred €130 billion more to Russia than to Ukraine. And if this truly is the EU’s war and their consent is also required for a peace agreement, then why are they not fighting? Why is the blood of EU citizens not being shed there? Why is this war being carried solely by Ukrainians and their heroism?” Papuashvili said.

He added that the situation serves as a broader lesson about how international politics functions.

“This is a great awakening for everyone — to see the reality of how international politics works. No one will worry about the interests of our nation. Everyone thinks about their own interests and views other countries through that lens. That is why, in 2022, they pressured us so intensely — through their puppets and directly in government offices — to push Georgia toward escalation with Russia. The only thing they failed to calculate was that they did not find puppets in Georgia’s government, unlike during the United National Movement period. The Georgian government made it clear that we would never put another country’s interests before the interests of our own people,” Papuashvili stated.