Sanctions are absolutely absurd. The European Union has not requested Georgia to impose sanctions on Russia. If there were such a request, it should come with guarantees of military and economic security, stated Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

He responded to a journalist’s question about information circulating in the media, citing Radio Liberty’s journalist Rikard Jozwiak, who suggested that imposing sanctions on Russia could be a necessary condition for Georgia’s candidate status.

Papuashvili emphasized that such demands are baseless, as the European Union has not asked Georgia to impose sanctions on Russia.

“Everyone understands that imposing bilateral sanctions on Russia would result in an economic catastrophe for Georgia. Estimates indicate a potential economic decline of around 10% in case of imposed sanctions. Additionally, it would entail a heightened risk of direct or indirect military confrontation with Russia, possibly involving other proxy groups. Essentially, it would plunge the country into a state of both military and economic collapse.

No responsible country or organization has asked Georgia to take such actions because, in this case, they should have directly given guarantees of economic and military security. Without these guarantees, neither the EU nor NATO asks Georgia to impose sanctions on Russia.

The opposition, along with certain political groups abroad, persists in advocating for these measures, seemingly willing to plunge Georgia’s population into economic disaster and potential military conflict. The surprising involvement of foreign journalists in these discussions further underscores the opposition’s efforts, including visits by several representatives to Brussels, to disrupt the European future of the Georgian people,” the Speaker declared.