“Ukraine is not a member of the European Union, but it has initiated accession talks. As a result, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine directly involves Europe and entails direct discussions with Russia. Regarding Georgia, the only criticism it faced was that a country aspiring to join the European Union should adhere to the sanctions policy,” stated Irakli Pavlenishvili, a member of the United National Movement.

Pavlenishvili was asked about a statement from Politico, which indicated: “European governments are pressuring the EU to appoint a negotiator to represent their interests on Ukraine, fearing the United States will stitch up a deal with Russia behind their backs.’ Mario Draghi and Alexander Stubb were mentioned as candidates.”

Specifically, a media representative asked Pavlenishvili: “How logical and fair is this in light of Georgia’s criticism concerning sanctions?”

“It’s a completely different matter altogether. A negotiator is needed. It’s clear that Ukraine isn’t a member of the European Union, but it has opened the accession negotiations. Therefore, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine directly concerns Europe and, among other things, involves direct dialogue with Russia. The United States is also engaged in such negotiations, as are other actors. Negotiations didn’t really take place until Donald Trump’s efforts, and Zelenskyy himself has expressed that there’s a chance these talks could succeed. This has led to the involvement of other parties. All of this is unrelated to Georgia. The only reason Georgia faced criticism was that a country aspiring to join the European Union should align with the sanctions policy,” Pavlenishvili explained.

When asked whether he believes Georgia should engage in dialogue with Russia, Pavlenishvili responded:

“What kind of dialogue? This country has occupied our territories. When we speak of occupation, Russia responds with the same rhetoric we heard just a few weeks ago, that if we do not recognise the independence of Abkhazia and other historically significant territories, then there’s no point in negotiating. If they expect us to recognise it, that would be a betrayal of our country.”