Ukrainian foreign ministry: ‘Sad to see Georgian government obeying Moscow'
Ukraine's foreign ministry has issued a statement in response to a new campaign video by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which contrasts footage of Ukrainian cities destroyed by war with images of peaceful Tbilisi. The party is preparing for local elections due in October 2025.
Kyiv said such 'cynical moves' show disrespect for the Ukrainian people and the victims of Russian aggression, and have sparked justified outrage in Ukrainian society.
The ministry said it was 'sad to see' the Georgian government obeying Moscow and ignoring the principles of dignity and independence that 'have historically been inherent to the Georgian nation' and are a core part of its identity.
'We advise the spin doctors of Georgia's ruling party to be honest with their own people and post a more accurate picture: the Russian flag on the right and the closed doors of the EU and NATO on the left. That would reflect reality, because the current Georgian government has deprived the country not of war, but of a European future,' the statement read.
At the same time, the ministry stressed that Ukraine continues to firmly support the friendly Georgian people in their aspiration to build an independent, democratic and European state.
Georgian Dream has used a similar 'trick' before, ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections.
On 26 September 2024, banners appeared on the streets of Tbilisi showing a bombed church in Ukraine, the destroyed theatre in Mariupol, and a ruined Ukrainian city with the slogan 'No to war' – contrasted with various scenes from Georgia and the words 'Choose peace.'
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