Georgian Parliament official: attempts to drag Georgia into war in Ukraine beyond doubt

David Matikashvili, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules, on Friday said the attempts to involve Georgia in the Ukraine conflict were undeniable, asserting that such efforts were part of a broader strategy to pull multiple countries, including NATO members, into the war.

In his remarks, Matikashvili alleged that Ukraine had sought to facilitate its military operations by drawing in external resources, including from Georgia and Poland.

“IIt is beyond question that there was an attempt to drag Georgia into the war. Ukraine, as a country at war, sought to use as many external resources as possible to support its military operations. But let’s ask the Poles and the Georgians - do they want to be part of this war? We recall statements from Ukrainian officials about how we would be walking in Sokhumi, and there was both backstage pressure and direct demands for Georgia to join the war. They suggested sending fighters, imposing sanctions, and other steps that would have inevitably led to Georgia’s involvement. Today, it is clear that what we said about these attempts has been proven so solidly that there is no room for doubt”, the Parliament official said.

He added that Ukraine was not only trying to pull in Poland, but also sought to draw other countries, including NATO members, into the conflict to simplify its military efforts.
Matikashvili emphasised the difference between Poland and Georgia, noting that Poland was protected by NATO’s defence umbrella, while Georgia was facing occupation by Russia without the protection of NATO or the economic backing of the EU.
“Georgia was left exposed, with the expectation that someone might say later: ‘Look at how the Georgian army held off the Russians for a few days - but at what cost?’ Cities would have been destroyed, countless lives lost, and then they would praise us for our heroes. Yes, wars bring forth heroes, but the greater act of heroism was the decision of Georgia’s government not to give in to pressure and to protect the country from the disaster hanging over its head like the sword of Damocles”, Matikashvili concluded.