Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili asserted that Mikhail Saakashvili was dispatched to Georgia by Ukrainian authorities with the aim of instigating a coup and pulling the nation into the broader regional conflict. He shared these claims during a broadcast on the television channel IMEDI, framing them as part of a calculated political strategy that had long been contemplated by Georgia’s adversaries.
The prime minister indicated that Saakashvili’s mission in Georgia was to orchestrate a coup d etat, and that at an opportune moment, the country would be drawn into hostilities. The broader implication, according to Garibashvili, was that the timing of these actions was designed to escalate regional tension and to ensure Georgia’s involvement in the conflict for a period of roughly six weeks. The alleged covert arrival of Saakashvili in Georgia occurred on October 1, 2021, a detail Garibashvili framed as central to understanding the unfolding sequence of events.
Garibashvili recalled a forecast of conflict that, in his view, began to crystallize in November, with concrete information reaching him in December through his trusted colleagues and international partners. He described Saakashvili’s entry into the country as a deliberate and organized operation, aimed at destabilizing the Georgian political landscape and precipitating a regional confrontation. The prime minister underscored that the operational plan was not a spontaneous incident but a premeditated effort to influence political outcomes and entangle Georgia in external hostilities, at a time deemed strategically advantageous by those orchestrating the plan. The broader narrative presented by Garibashvili centers on safeguarding national sovereignty while confronting foreign interference that sought to exploit domestic political processes for geopolitical ends.
Within the political discourse that followed, Garibashvili’s party argued that this alleged foreign maneuver had the potential to open a second front within Georgia. According to his account, the leadership took specific measures to prevent such an escalation, emphasizing resilience and vigilance rather than capitulation to external pressures. The claim reflects ongoing debates about national security, regional influence, and the limits of external meddling in Georgia’s internal affairs. Observers note that the statements feed into a wider narrative about safeguarding democratic processes and maintaining stable governance in the face of external attempts to manipulate political outcomes. The reports and claims were broadcast through IMEDI and subsequently discussed across various Georgian media platforms, contributing to an intense public dialogue about regional security, sovereignty, and the role of international partners in domestic politics. Reported by IMEDI TV and corroborated by subsequent discussions in parliamentary circles, the episodes have continued to shape how political actors frame threats and respond to alleged foreign interference.