Georgia accuses Ukraine of blocking its EU bid

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili claimed that Ukraine has opposed Georgia’s European integration in various ways, accusing Kyiv of attempting to hinder Tbilisi’s path to EU membership.

Speaking to local media, Bochorishvili said it is “shameful” for anyone to blame Georgia regarding Ukraine, stressing that her country has shown consistent political support for Kyiv since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.

“Ukraine’s involvement … was demonstrated more than once, that they opposed Georgia’s European integration in various ways,” she said, adding that campaigns in 2022–2023 sought to prevent Georgia from receiving EU candidate status.

“No one can say that Georgia has not supported Ukraine in international formats. The conclusions reached in the European Commission report completely distort the real facts,” she said.

Bochorishvili added that Georgia’s policy toward Russia mirrors that of EU and NATO members, aimed at avoiding confrontation and protecting national security.

“The government’s primary responsibility is to avoid threats to the country. If we do this, it shouldn’t be condemned -- it should be welcomed,” she stated.

She also criticized remarks by EU Ambassador to Georgia Pavel Gerchinsky, saying they aligned with the positions of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for Enlargement Martha Kos.

“The Ambassador cannot make a statement contradicting Brussels leaders. Unfortunately, the statement from Brussels distorts the facts about what happened in Georgia on October 4 and creates false impressions,” she said.

Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 after months of tension between Tbilisi and Brussels over political reforms and alleged democratic backsliding.