“Georgia was lucky to have the Georgian Dream in power when Russia launched an aggressive war against Ukraine. Other political forces would have waged a war,” said Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

The Speaker commented on reports indicating that, according to the decision of the Ukrainian government, employees of non-governmental organizations receiving foreign financing were exempt from military mobilization.

“I have seen this information. I think the reaction of many Georgians was recalling the words of the former public defender that they prefer the rain of missiles to peace and the statement of Transparency International-Georgia saying Georgia has to use the window of opportunity to restore territorial integrity. It is clear what they meant.

It seems that these people hoped that if there was a war and slaughter, they would evacuate by planes and would evade military mobilization. They thought about grants and sacrificed our country for the war,” he said.

According to Shalva Papuashvili, if Georgia had any other political force in power but the Georgian Dream, they would enter into a military conflict, impose sanctions, and the escalation would follow.

“Today, when various units of the United National Movement and NGOs unite, the same people held protest rallies in front of the parliament with the demand to send volunteers to Ukraine and get dragged into the war. They insisted on the imposition of sanctions and entering into escalation with Russia. These people were dragging us into a war but would evacuate themselves from Georgia by planes. It is a diagnosis when the opposition and NGOs dare to stay in Georgian politics and run in the upcoming elections.

Therefore, October 26 will be vital, but at the same time, the easiest choice. Finally, the darkness that stands on the side of the opposition is obvious. The opposition has been dragging us into the war for the last two and a half years since Russia’s war against Ukraine. Georgian people will respond to these people,” he said.