Zakharova: Russia Will Be Ready to Go as Far as Tbilisi is Ready To

On December 4, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated during a briefing that Russia is ready to normalize relations with Georgia “as far as Tbilisi is ready for it.”

“As for the further prospects of normalization of bilateral relations with Georgia, we are ready to follow this path as far as Tbilisi is ready for it… We believe that the Georgian people will have enough foresight and faith not to become a pawn in someone else’s dirty and very dangerous game,” Zakharova said.

Zakharova also assessed the statements of Georgia’s Western partners, who have expressed their support for the peaceful demonstrators against the ruling Georgian Dream’s turn away from the EU path. She said that “monstrous statements” are being made by the West about Georgia’s internal politics, which show that the West has “no standards” when it comes to non-interference in a country’s internal politics, and that Russia sees “complete cacophony, a kind of obscenity” coming from the West.

Commenting on President Salome Zurabishvili, who sided with the demonstrators, she said: “I don’t know how an official, a private person, an adult who has declared that her life’s work is to take care of people, can call on children, schoolchildren, and it was to them that the statement was addressed, to take to the streets because it’s their turn to protest […] You must be a person without a head or a person without a heart. Maybe the rarest combination – without a head and without a heart.”

“Unlike Westerners, we do not interfere in the internal affairs of countries, in this case Georgia. As for Salome Zurabishvili, her mandate as President will expire in a week and a half. We assume that the legal assessment of her activities should be made by the competent bodies of Georgia,” Zakharova concluded.

Russia has been particularly vocal about “normalizing relations” with Georgia following the October 26 parliamentary elections. While many speculate that Russia interfered in what much of the Georgian population believes were rigged elections, Russia itself has denied these allegations. It continues to blame the West for “unprecedented interference” in Georgia’s internal affairs.

Also Read:

• 05/11/2024 – Lavrov Denies Russian Interference in Georgian Elections, Expresses Readiness to Normalize Relations
• 29/10/2024 – Russian Officials Accuse West of “Neocolonialism” and Meddling in Georgia
• 18/10/2024 – Lavrov Reiterates Invitation for Tbilisi to Join 3+3 Platform, Accuses West of Attempts to “Open Second Front”
• 29/09/2024 – Lavrov: Russia Ready to Help Georgia, Abkhazia, Tskhinvali Normalize Relations

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