Russia weighs military support for Georgia amid political turmoil
The Kremlin has expressed readiness to "assist" the pro-Russian party in Georgia in retaining power. Russia is prepared to deploy troops as soon as requested by Tbilisi, as stated by Russian Federation Council Deputy Andrei Klimov on July 21, according to TVpirveli.
Russia has assured that it will support the Georgian Dream party and cited concerns over a "coup" amid protests and public discontent in Georgia. Klimov warned that any coup would constitute interference by external forces in another country's internal affairs, breaching the UN Charter. He likened the situation to Syria, where Russia intervened militarily upon the request of Assad’s legitimate government, ultimately stabilizing the situation.
Klimov did not discount the possibility of Georgia joining the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. "The main thing is not to be late," he emphasized.
Explaining that Russian President Vladimir Putin is building a security system on the Eurasian continent in which Georgia could potentially partake, Klimov stated, "Strengthening Russia's influence in the post-Soviet space is often seen as linear, but it might influence as an exemplary country. Russia has become a model for South Africa and Latin America. People enlightened by our side will understand why we have become a model for two billion people. As for military actions in Ukraine, it’s NATO's war against Russia, and the Ukrainian people, bewildered, have become victims of Washington and its satellites." More details are available
This comes after the Georgian parliament approved a controversial "foreign agents" law in early March 2023, akin to similar legislation in Russia, leading to mass protests.
Protests reignited in April 2024 when the draft law was registered again. President Salome Zurabishvili vetoed the law, but the parliament managed to override it.