Just a few days ago, Georgia was planning to take up arms against Russia and open a second front against it. But, when Russia “seems” to be the weakest on the ground, Georgia has backed down on its earlier rhetoric. It has adopted Gandhi’s non-violence.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili claimed that Georgia could have been turned into a “shooting range” if opposition leaders had managed to take control of the country. He said that Kyiv harassed Tbilisi to join the confrontation with Russia. Garibashvili said that attempts by Ukraine to establish a “second front” against Russia in Georgia were ” not a legend,” but rather a “direct quote” from remarks made at a news conference. He made this claim in a speech to parliament on Friday.
He alleged that Georgia would have been engaged in a war against Russia had the opposition been in power.
Garibashvili, “These people [the Georgian opposition] are their [Ukrainian officials] allies. Imagine if these people had been at the helm of the Georgian government today, does anybody have any doubt that a ‘second front’ would have been opened in Georgia, turning the country into a ‘shooting range?’”
A number of officials in Kyiv, including the secretary of the Ukrainian National Security Council, Aleksey Danilov, called on several nations, including Japan, Poland, Moldova, and Georgia, to open up a number of “second fronts” by attacking Russia. Ukraine attempted to open fronts not only in Europe but also in Asia. It asked Japan to seize border regions of Russia like the Kuril Islands shortly after Russia began its military operation in late February. However, no one paid any heed to Zelensky’s attempts at triggering a major conflict in the region.
Also Read: The final battle for Kyiv is about to begin
Georgia’s change stance?
This hasn’t been the Georgia government’s stance since the beginning of the war. Garibashvili belongs to the same Georgian Dream party which suggested conducting a poll in September to determine whether Georgians desire a conflict with Russia. According to reports, the Georgian government was considering conducting a countrywide vote on whether or not Georgians wanted to fight Russia in war.
The proposal was introduced by the party’s chairman, Giorgi Kobakhidze, at a news conference held at the headquarters of the dominant Georgian Dream party.
Mr. Kobakhidze emphasized, “Let the people decide if they want to open a second front in Georgia against Russia.” He further added, “We will act as people say.”
Russia has recently withdrawn from Kherson and western media is portraying the withdrawal as Russia’s biggest defeat in the war. Shouldn’t Georgia clinch the opportunity to take up a war against Russia?
Clearly, Tbilisi doesn’t want a war against Moscow as the reports start to emerge that the final battle for Kyiv is about to begin as Russia’s forces are lining up at Ukraine’s borders. So, after months of deliberating on whether Georgia should open a second front against Russia, its PM has backtracked. Irakly Garibashvili is no Volodymyr Zelensky, he has realised that war against Russia can be lethal and can make Georgia lose South Ossetia. Therefore, he has opted for Gandhi’s non-violence.
