Andrei Klimov, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Federation Council, stated that Russia is prepared to assist Georgia's ruling party, "Georgian Dream," in retaining power if requested.
Klimov made these comments at a Friends of Russia Club meeting in Moscow, according to Georgian TV channel TV Pirveli.
He compared the situation to Syria, using Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as an example to illustrate that those who seek Russia's help receive military assistance. Russia intervened in Syria in September 2015 to support Bashar al-Assad's government against numerous internal opposition groups.
Russian forces operating in Syria have been accused by the U.N. and other organizations of committing war crimes in the country, including bombing hospitals and using "double-tap" attacks, a tactic Russia has repeated in Ukraine.
Russia has historically used its "assistance" and "protection" initiatives to expand the country's geopolitical influence and colonial efforts in various regions.
Klimov’s comments come amid a recent survey revealing that most Georgians view Russia as their main enemy, with this sentiment growing as Georgian Dream appears to be aligning more closely with Moscow, including plans to restore diplomatic relations.
The survey was conducted when the ruling Georgian Dream party passed the foreign agents law, which requires organizations that receive foreign funding to be labeled as "foreign agents" and mirrors repressive Russian legislation used to crack down on Kremlin regime critics.
The controversial legislation sparked large-scale protests in the country, which escalated to violent incidents as police officers tried to quell the demonstrations with water cannons and rubber bullets.
Washington and Brussels have denounced the bill as incompatible with Western values, and voices within the EU called for freezing Georgia's membership candidate status if the law is implemented.
Natalia Yermak
(Updated: )
