Georgia's Foreign Ministry labels Ukraine's actions concerning Saakashvili as provoking and escalatory
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The Georgian Ministry's concern spikes following Ukraine's decision, viewing it as a severe blow to diplomatic ties and a potential escalation in an already complex situation. This revelation was shared by the ministry in a statement on Tuesday, July 4, reported by RIA Novosti.
The ministry believes that this decision from Kyiv harms strategic relations between the two nations and infringes upon the internal affairs of a sovereign state. They express hope that the Ukrainian authorities will reevaluate their decision and prioritize fostering friendly relations.
Concurrently, Georgia pledges to stand by Ukraine and demonstrates solidarity. In response to Kyiv's actions, Tbilisi prefers to maintain a composed approach, thereby avoiding any actions that could potentially worsen the situation.
On Monday, Zelensky ordered the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to summon the Georgian ambassador and direct him to depart Ukraine within 48 hours for consultations regarding Saakashvili, a Ukrainian citizen. The Ukrainian leader reiterated his call for the Georgian authorities to hand Saakashvili over to Ukraine for medical care.
Saakashvili lost his Georgian citizenship in 2015 upon obtaining a Ukrainian passport. He was apprehended in Georgia in the autumn of 2021 before local elections, with several criminal cases being opened against him. During his imprisonment, Saakashvili has embarked on multiple hunger strikes, culminating in a decline in his health. Medical experts from various countries diagnosed him with conditions unsuitable for imprisonment in December of last year.
Amid these developments, Ukraine recalled its ambassador to Georgia in March 2025 due to Georgia's resistance to impose sanctions on Russia and obstruction of Ukrainian-bound volunteers. President Zelenskiy denounced these actions as immoral amid Russia's invasion. The EU and others have previously raised concerns about Mikheil Saakashvili's treatment, but recent geopolitical discussions have centered around Georgia's foreign influence law and strained EU relations.
The Ukraine-Georgia diplomatic spat coincides with Georgia's deteriorating EU accession prospects, as the EU halted financial assistance and suspended membership talks over Georgia's "Russian law" on foreign influence transparency. U.S.-Georgia military cooperation has also been disrupted due to these tensions. These disagreements mirror broader disputes over Georgia's alignment with Western democratic norms versus perceived Russian influence. As of the latest available information, Saakashvili remains detained in Georgia on abuse-of-power charges unrelated to these recent developments.
- The Georgian Ministry, in a general-news report by RIA Novosti, expressed concern over Ukraine's decision to summon its ambassador and reconsidered the diplomatic ties between the two nations, fearing it could escalate an already complex situation.
- The ministry reconsidered its hope that the Ukrainian authorities would reevaluate their decision and prioritize fostering friendly relations, instead of potentially infringing upon the internal affairs of a sovereign state like Georgia.
- Despite the strained bilateral relations, Georgia continued to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, preferring a composed approach to avoid worsening the situation, a stance evident in their response to Kyiv's actions.
- The hunger strike undertaken by Saakashvili, a Ukrainian citizen, due to his poor health during imprisonment in Georgia, has become a focal point of Ukrainian politics, with the Ukrainian authorities having summoned the Georgian ambassador to discuss Saakashvili's medical care.
