Former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili sent a letter to EU Foreign Ministers, Vice-President, and High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Kaja Kallas.
“Following the Resolution of the European Parliament and on the eve of the Foreign Affairs Council, which is set to address the situation in Georgia, I consider it my responsibility to draw your attention to the utterly concerning internal and geopolitical developments we are confronting in a country that holds the EU candidate country status and should, as such, deserve your serious consideration and reactions.
Beyond the accelerated democratic backsliding, which is amply exposed in the European Parliament Resolution, and is quickly transforming a state, in which our European Partners have massively invested over the past decades to create democratic conditions and institutions – into a quasi- totalitarian system, it is clear that Russia is attempting to win over this country through its new hybrid strategy based on manipulated elections, massive propaganda and indirect interventions.
Against the backdrop of Russia’s failure to impose its military will on Ukraine, one cannot help but question the absence of reactions – except for punctual condemnations and partial sanctions – to prevent what has to be qualified as state capture, that is being implemented through “peaceful means” rather than military intervention but is no less preoccupying for that matter. Knowing that similar, albeit so far failed, attempts have been directed to Moldova, Romania, Serbia and others, there is clearly a need for a strategic rethinking – both of our region and of how to prevent and counter these new Russian strategies.
The region remains one that is essential for tomorrow’s expansion of the European power. The current favorable developments, with the ongoing process between Armenia and Azerbaijan are opening new avenues, that Russia unable to prevent by directly influencing the parties – as it did for decades – is now trying to counteract by extending its control over the regime in Georgia and thereby preventing the consolidation of a peaceful, stable and united Caucasus region that would be open to increased cooperation with the EU. By extending its control over Georgia, Russia is also attempting to maintain an exclusive approach to the Black Sea.
Politically submitted to Russia’s diktat, the current regime in Georgia is also opening new economic prospects to Chinese investments by allowing it to access the Black Sea shore and investing in Anaklia port, thus creating a competition for European and western investments that also aligns with Russian strategy.
I wish to underline that Georgia’s issue today is anything but an internal political crisis, generated by rigged elections. Europe is confronting a new challenge, one that defies its democratic vision and its credibility, one that tries to prevent its extended influence and the continuation of an enlargement policy that will determine the emergence of a true European political, economic and military power.
Therefore, this is not solely a Georgian crisis; it is fundamentally a European one.
The situation has reached a critical point. Should the European Union fail to respond with clarity, unity, and tangible consequences, it not only risks losing Georgia as a strategic partner but also enables a dangerous precedent where democratic backsliding and Russian interference go unchecked in Europe’s neighbourhood.
Ahead of the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council meeting on July 15, 2025, I urgently call upon the European Union and its member states to:
- Qualify the situation: an authoritarian takeover, accompanied by a clear strategic realignment toward Russia.
- Unequivocally support the Georgian people, who continue to raise European flags in the face of brutality and fear. To do anything less would be to abandon a nation whose people have never wavered in their aspiration to join the European family.
- Respond with coordinated political action: respond with clarity, unity, and coordinated actions, echoing the clarity of European Parliament resolutions. Delay at this juncture would equate to surrender to authoritarianism and Russian subversion.
The time for strategic patience has passed. What is required now is moral conviction and political clarity. Georgia’s democratic future- and Europe’s credibility and geopolitical integrity-hang in the balance,” Salome Zourabichvili’s letter reads.
