Georgian PM accuses domestic ‘agent network’ of showing stronger anti-Russian sentiment over Ukraine than 2008 war

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze claimed on Tuesday that the rhetoric of what he describes as a “foreign agent network” toward Russia was never as harsh either before or immediately after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, arguing that its members declared Russia an implacable enemy only after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In his letter, Kobakhidze argued that even the sentiments expressed by what he described as the “agent network” were entirely false, claiming that they were devoid of any genuine values.

“To clarify once again, the rhetoric of the agent network toward Russia was not as harsh and negative either before the 2008 war or after the August war - that is, at a time when the issue directly concerned their own homeland, at least formally. This was when hundreds of Georgian soldiers, police officers, and civilians lost their lives as a result of Russian occupation, when Giorgi Antsukhelidze was tortured and killed, when Georgia lost more than 120 villages, when tens of thousands of our fellow citizens were forced to become displaced, and when Russia did something it had never previously considered - recognising the so-called independence of Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories”, the PM said.

“The foreign agent network declared Russia an implacable enemy only after it invaded Ukraine for the second time. If we were talking about Ukrainian citizens, this would, of course, be entirely understandable. However, it appears that some Georgian citizens who are ‘rootless’ are more concerned about Ukraine than Georgia because they have received such instructions. It is paradoxical, but the fact remains that, in their view, Russia became Georgia’s real occupier not after occupying Georgian territories, but only after occupying Ukrainian territories”, he continued.

Kobakhidze stressed that if someone were to develop a radical anti-Russian stance, it should have emerged not after 2022, but following the events of 2008.

“Naturally, these sentiments are also entirely false, because the foreign agent network is devoid of any values, as they have repeatedly demonstrated to this day. However, a logical question arises: why did they become Russophobes only now, and not when Georgia itself was affected? Do they not even formally consider Georgia their homeland, while Ukraine is their homeland? It is only logical that if someone were to develop radical anti-Russian sentiments, this should have happened not after 2022, but after the events of 2008”, the PM added

“The fact that their current Russophobia is artificial is confirmed by concrete examples. Without going too far, we all know that Russophobic politicians, NGO representatives, journalists, and activists have shown no reaction to the transfer of millions of Russian rubles from the Russian state treasury to [Georgian opposition politician] Elene Khoshtaria”, he concluded.