Georgia, which like Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union before its collapse and has fought with Moscow over secessionist territories, is worried about Russia’s war breaking out in Ukraine. Mysterious explosions in the breakaway region of Transnistria, Moldova, this week underscored tensions in other countries in the region. In an interview with The Hill, Zourabichvili said she believed Moscow did not have the capacity to move its army to launch another operation, but that “it can still play on its nerves, and it is doing so in Transnistria, trying to fears increase, destabilize the population “. “This is the way Russia shows that even if it is concentrated in Ukraine, it does not forget Moldova and [Georgia]. “So again, our western partners should, for their part, not forget Georgia.” Two Georgian territories have been occupied by Russian forces since 2008, in one of the first signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin was changing his international strategy. The following years were followed by battles in Transnistria and the Russian-occupied region of Crimea in Ukraine. Last week, a top separatist official in the Russian-backed territory of South Ossetia in northern Georgia called for a referendum. Zourabichvili described this as coming from Putin’s book on the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The United States has said it is wary of Moscow moving beyond Ukraine, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers on Thursday that the United States was watching developments in Transnistria this week “like a hawk.” Zurabishvili said she hoped to see Georgia included in more of Biden’s discussion points, saying it would send a “significant message” to Moscow. “We are not talking about an increase in military aid or this form today, but more to show political support for Georgia and Moldova,” Zurabishvili said. Moscow’s actions have prompted the European Union to give Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova the opportunity to embark on an “accelerating” path to membership. Georgia also aspires to join NATO, which Putin sees as an existential threat. Georgia maintains a “close” relationship with the alliance and participated in joint NATO exercises in March. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier this month that the alliance would step up its support for Tbilisi as part of a joint NATO-Georgia package that includes raising awareness of the situation, secure communications and cyber operations. It is unclear whether the US and other NATO members will move soon to accept Georgia as a NATO member, which will be seen as a step by Moscow in the midst of bitter relations with the US. But Zurabishvili said Georgia had no intention of backing down from its ambitions. “We are not the ones making the decisions in this sense, what I can say is that we are looking for security guarantees and as a small country, living side by side with Russia, which owns two of our territories, we can not say no to security. guarantees, “he said. Georgia also faces the challenge of meeting the political requirements to be a member of NATO or the EU. The Freedom House, which monitors the state of civil liberties and democracy worldwide, rated Georgia in its 2022 report as “partly free” – saying that democratic freedoms had declined in recent years and that civil liberties were “inadequately protected”. And the political opposition is often stifled. bullying and harassment. “We need to be prepared and do some of the things that we may not have been fast enough and efficient enough,” Zurabishvili told the Washington Post earlier this week. “And I’m talking about the reform of the judiciary, all these profound reforms that will consolidate democracy, and that means it is a new impetus to do that, which I think is a very big opportunity for my country.” Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, which finances U.S. companies abroad, recently voiced support for Georgia, but also said that reforms were needed. “As in Ukraine, the people must demand respect for Georgia’s independence and territorial integrity and condemn Putin’s blatant contempt for the international order,” Coons said in a statement after a visit to the country. April. “I urge the political leaders of Georgia to take advantage of this window of opportunity by demonstrating their ability to reach a political settlement and to advance important reforms in the democratic institutions, including the judiciary. “These steps will also facilitate deeper security cooperation and closer economic ties with the United States.” Zurabishvili met this week with Senate Trade Committee member Roger Walker (R-Miss.). “I was glad to meet the President of Georgia [Salome Zourabichvili]. “Her country’s resistance to Russian tyranny should inspire us all,” Wicker wrote on Twitter. “I stand proudly on the side of Georgia.” He also met with speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Who wrote on Twitter that “Congress stands proudly on the side of the Georgian people and we remain steadfast in supporting their sovereignty over Russian aggression.” Ocasio-Cortez, Musk embark on difficult Twitter Health Care exchange – FDA sets interim schedule for young children vaccines And the Biden administration has allocated $ 88 million to support Georgia as part of the State Department’s proposed 2023 budget to tackle Georgia’s democratic and economic development, Euro-Atlantic integration and its resilience to The Kremlin. ” Zourabichvili said her citizens wanted closer ties with the United States and that government-funded media outlets such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty have had a reputation in Georgia as true news since the country was behind. from the Iron Curtain. “There has always been this admiration for the United States, and it remains,” he said. “I do not think that the Soviet – Russian, sorry, misinformation campaign really dominates the majority of public opinion.”
