Andrii Kasianov, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Georgia, held a press conference on the appointment of a new ambassador to Georgia, relations with the government regarding the provision of both military and other dual-purpose equipment for Ukraine, and the health of Georgia’s former president, Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili.

Below are the main takeaways:

Ukraine is concerned about the health of its citizen, Mikheil Saakashvili. Andrii Kasianov stated that he met with Empathy Center officials and spoke with Saakashvili’s attorneys personally. On December 2, a representative of the Consulate Department went on a visit to Georgia’s imprisoned ex-president.

“I would like to underscore that the Ukrainian side will continue to take all consular and legal measures necessary to safeguard the legal rights and interests of Ukrainian nationals,” he said.

Ukraine’s new ambassador to Georgia will be appointed in February 2023. The procedure requires greater efforts from Ukrainian authorities, considering the ongoing war.

Despite several inquiries, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Georgia has said, Ukraine received no response from the Georgian government about the transfer of guns, ammunition, and other military and dual-purpose equipment to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale aggression.

“We were always upfront and honest about our goals. We continue to feel that Ukraine’s appeal for military assistance to a friendly country, Georgia, in a moment of life and death, was totally reasonable, fair, and necessary. Once upon a time, the Ukrainian government assisted in the evacuation of Georgian refugees in the Svaneti mountains, offered the most important humanitarian relief to Georgia in 1993, and also provided military, technical, and political assistance to the Georgian government in 2008,” he stated.

Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires disputed charges that Ukraine attempted to lure Georgia into the war.