secret agreements
at the Georgian Ministry of Defense refuted Statement by Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Georgia Andrey Kasyanov that in 2008 the country received Buk anti-aircraft missile systems free of charge from Kiev.
“The fact that Ukraine donated Buk air defense systems to Georgia does not correspond to reality. The Department of Defense acquired the Buk systems in 2007 through a multi-million dollar purchase. This was done by collusion, so we don’t have more specific details,” the message posted on the agency’s website says.
Georgia’s Ministry of Defense added that the country “paid tens of millions of dollars” in 2017 to purchase Javelin anti-tank systems from the United States. The ministry also stressed that Georgia continues to provide humanitarian and political support to Ukraine. But on the transfer of weapons, “the Georgian government has repeatedly expressed a firm stance.”
The previous day, Ukraine’s charge d’affaires to Georgia Andrey Kasyanov said in an article published on the website of Ukrainian broadcaster Evropeiska Pravda that Kiev wanted to return the Buks transferred from Tbilisi in 2008.
“The Ukrainian side is consistent in its requests for the supply of arms, military equipment and ammunition from all its international partners, including Georgia, and openly declared the vital need for weapons at the very beginning of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.” wrote the diplomat.
In addition, according to him, Ukraine’s request included Javelin anti-tank systems, which the USA transferred to Georgia. He noted that Washington approved this request.
“Although the government of Georgia categorically refuses to provide military assistance, Ukraine opposes the use of this issue in internal political disputes and denies any accusations of trying to drag Georgia into war with the Russian Federation,” Kasyanov said.
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page (Meta’s owner is known as an extremist and is banned in Russia) that in 2007 the country bought Buki from Ukraine “with the help of President Yushchenko” and “for a minimal price”. According to him, Tbilisi “must be ashamed of refusing to transfer the Buk system to Ukraine.” The former head of Georgia added that a criminal case was opened against Yushchenko for the sale of the air defense systems in question.
Refusal of military aid
On December 6, Ukraine’s charge d’affaires to Georgia Andrei Kasyanov said at a briefing that Kiev had asked Tbilisi to supply arms several times, but the request remained unanswered.
“A call for military assistance to our brotherly Georgia at a time when Ukraine is all about survival, life and death was completely justified, just and necessary,” he said, and also reminded of Kiev’s military support to Tbilisi in 1993 and 2008.
Mikheil Saakashvili, who became president of Georgia in 2008, said that without Kiev’s help, Tbilisi “would not have survived”. According to him, Georgia “trained its army” in Ukraine, in addition, Kyiv delivered the “critical” Buk system.
He stressed that Ukraine does not intend to make Georgia a party to the conflict in Russia’s military special operation. Kasyanov noted that he is “concerned by the constant accusations and speculations on this issue in Georgia’s domestic politics.”
The diplomat added that Tbilisi has not responded to calls to send generators to Ukraine to restore the country’s energy supply system.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, head of the parliamentary faction of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said the same day that Georgia would not provide military aid to Ukraine as Kiev wanted and would not be a party to the conflict.
According to him, the main message, in the words of the Ukrainian diplomat, was “Georgia must come forward as a side of the military conflict”. Mdinaradze stressed that his country provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine, accepted more than 30,000 refugees and supported and co-authored more than 400 documents, including “The Hague and the court-martial against Russia.” The Georgian politician is sure that Kasyanov wants to “harm the Georgian government” with his statements.
“Georgia fully and fully expresses its political support and provides humanitarian assistance beyond its capacity, but cannot and will not provide military assistance because it cannot be fixed as follows: <...> “After Ukraine, the number one risky country is a military supporter, it cannot be defined as a party to the conflict,” Mdinaradze said.
Following the start of the Russian Federation’s special military operation in Ukraine, Georgia refused to participate in anti-Russian sanctions. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili later said that participating in economic and financial sanctions would harm the inhabitants of the republic. However, he noted that Tbilisi supports Kiev, not Moscow.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.