“Seventeen years ago, on 12 August, a ceasefire agreement was signed, the six-point plan mediated by the European Union. Despite Russia having fulfilled nothing, the EU imposed no sanctions on Russia and extracted no political price,” declared Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of Georgia’s Parliament, in Shindisi.

According to him, after the 2008 Russo-Georgia war, Europeans imposed sanctions not on Russia but on Georgia, a lesson in itself. This is why the Georgian people showed wisdom in 2022 and chose not to be dragged into a war they have seen many times before, and which outcome they are all too familiar with.

“Today is Heroes of Shindisi Day, the day when a heroic battle was fought in Shindisi between 22 Georgian soldiers and 100 opponents. Our soldiers fought an enemy five times their number. Seventeen died heroically. History shows us that Georgian fighters fear no numbers. Tomorrow, we mark Didgoroba, when Georgian warriors also went into battle against a fivefold superior enemy and won, 60,000 against 300,000. And here too, 17 years ago, 22 soldiers stood firm against 100 and fought to the end for their country. This shows us that for a Georgian soldier, warrior, every battle is Didgori. It matters not what happens around it, Georgians enter every battle as they did at Didgori, and this is what the heroes of Shindisi showed us,” stated Shalva Papuashvili.

According to him, not every battle has patriotic commanders like David the Builder.

“Had it not been for the puppet regime 17 years ago, this war would not have happened. Perhaps there would have been no heroes, but they would have been with their families, children, and wives. This is the lesson our society has learned. When you have a puppet regime leading the country, such regimes act not in their own country’s interests but in the interests of other countries and groups. This is what happened 17 years ago,” declared Shalva Papuashvili.

According to him, Mikheil Saakashvili’s “puppet regime used Georgia as a pawn on the great geopolitical chessboard.”

“Hopefully, the war in Ukraine is drawing to a close, though many issues remain to be resolved. There is political will from the U.S. and Russia, and Ukraine, too, appears to express readiness. Hopefully, this war will end soon. This, too, is a lesson, and our own lesson teaches us this. Georgians know best how such wars begin and end. Seventeen years ago, on 12 August, a ceasefire agreement was signed, the six-point plan mediated by the European Union, and this plan remains unfulfilled to this day.

One point was Russia’s withdrawal of forces to initial positions. On 12 August, the guarantor of this agreement was the European Union. However, despite Russia fulfilling nothing, the EU imposed no sanctions on Russia and extracted no political price. Following this came pipeline construction with Russia and strategic projects between Germany and Russia. Followed by trade between Europe and Russia. So our war ended with us signing a one-page agreement. Georgia was embargoed; neither Europe nor America gave us weapons. Compare how they stand by Ukraine today with how they stood by us; they banned us from buying weapons. After 2008, Europeans imposed sanctions not on Russia but on Georgia. This too is a lesson, which is why the Georgian people showed wisdom in 2022 and chose not to be dragged into a war that we have seen many times and which end the Georgian people know well,” declared Shalva Papuashvili.