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Day: April 17, 2026
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Russia threatens Georgia
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing that if Georgia joins the European Union, Moscow will place the country on its list of “unfriendly states” and introduce “appropriate economic measures”. She said the move would respond to EU policy and would directly affect Georgian exports.
“Unfriendly states” list and economic impact
Zakharova said that if Georgia joins the European Union, Russia will impose economic restrictions on the country. She said these measures would affect Georgian goods, including mineral water, fruit and wine.
She argued that such steps would directly impact Georgian producers and reduce export volumes to the Russian market.
Argument about “loss of sovereignty”
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman also criticised EU policy. She said she does not understand Georgia’s desire to join a bloc whose members, in her view, impose “unjustified sanctions” on the country.
Zakharova said that EU membership requires any country to transfer part of its national sovereignty to Brussels. She argued that the process follows a logic of political subordination rather than economic benefit.
She also claimed that the EU seeks compliance from third countries through “sanctions and blackmail” and that anti-Russian policy is one of the central elements of this approach.
Sanctions, transport links and visa regime
Zakharova said EU requirements for Georgia could affect air travel, the visa regime and transport links.
She argued that this scenario could lead to restrictions on the movement of Russian citizens to Georgia. She also said it could create additional barriers for cargo transportation.
In the same context, she noted that a large number of Russian citizens visit Georgia as tourists. She said this has significant economic importance for the country.
Tourism and “cultural exchange”
Zakharova said Russian tourists form an important part of Georgia’s tourism sector. She argued that their presence contributes both to economic growth and to cultural exchange.
She warned that if EU integration leads to tighter restrictions for Russians, it could threaten not only tourism but also contacts between people living in Russia and Georgia.
Zakharova described Brussels’ policy as a “neocolonial approach”. She said Western policy often relies on sanctions and pressure.
“In this regard, I would like to remind you that every fourth tourist in Georgia is from Russia. These are grateful and financially secure tourists, who also bring their friends to Georgia. Those friends, in turn, become great admirers of Georgian cuisine, culture, architecture and history.
Georgia’s accession to the European Union, given what we see as destructive demands from Brussels, would deal a severe blow to Georgia’s tourism industry. It would also threaten contact between relatives living in Georgia and Russia, who would lose the ability to visit each other normally,” Zakharova added.
Briefing wrap-up
At the end of the briefing, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said EU policy towards Georgia is “obvious” and that Moscow has held this view “for a long time”.
Zakharova also said Brussels follows a similar pattern in its dealings with other countries. She argued that the EU uses sanctions and political ultimatums as its main tools of pressure.
Russia threatens Georgia
Pro-government media on the opposition in Georgia
Pro-government media and representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party continue to claim that the opposition in Georgia is working on possible “revolutionary scenarios”. These accusations have reignited public debate over the role of “foreign actors” and the responsibility of local media.
Allegations of “revolutionary scenarios” and Igor Blazevic
On 16 April 2026, the pro-government Imedi TV channel reported that the opposition’s alleged “revolutionary scenario” was being discussed and developed by Igor Blazevic, one of the leaders of the Prague Civil Society Centre.
The broadcaster said the State Security Service also holds information about planned and “preparing unrest” in Georgia, including intelligence received from foreign partners. It also claimed that Blazevic had been “training” opposition figures and giving them specific instructions in recent days.
The Imedi report, citing open sources, claims that Blazevic supports ongoing pro-European protests in Tbilisi and criticises laws passed by the Georgian parliament. The channel also says he took part in an event where participants discussed sanctions, forms of resistance and the prospect of a change of government.
At the same time, the report does not mention that Blazevic has publicly condemned the detention of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, the violent dispersal of protests and the arrests of opposition politicians.
Allegations against TV Pirveli
According to Imedi, Igor Blazevic allegedly instructed TV Pirveli to spread information about expected changes in the government.
TV Pirveli strongly rejected the claim. It said the information was “false and disinformation, not based on any facts”. The broadcaster also said Imedi’s journalists did not contact it for comment while preparing the report. It described this as a violation of the broadcasting law.
Pirveli also noted that the UK has sanctioned Imedi for “spreading Russian propaganda”. It said the pro-government channel’s statement amounted to deliberate discrediting.
TV Pirveli called on the National Communications Commission to respond. It demanded both an end to the disinformation and full, clear coverage of its position on Imedi’s air.
Georgian Dream’s response
Representatives of the ruling party also commented on the situation. Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze said that for many years “attempts at coups have been financed through external interference”, and that social polarisation has deepened, adding that these processes are still ongoing.
Kaladze also said that, in his view, the public understands “who the real enemy of the country is” and what interests lie behind the current developments.
Georgian Dream MP Levan Machavariani praised the leadership of the State Security Service. He said the agency “has specific information” and will respond accordingly.
An ongoing political narrative
The Georgian government has repeatedly accused the opposition and foreign actors of attempting to organise revolutionary processes in the country. In this context, various international experts and organisations are periodically mentioned.
For example, Peter Ackerman — founder of the Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS), who died in 2022 — has often been linked by the Georgian authorities to alleged discussions of coup scenarios. Ackerman also served in advisory roles in several international organisations, including Freedom House and other Western institutions.
In 2023, Georgia’s State Security Service published details of an ongoing case involving CANVAS. The agency said Serbian citizens Sinisa Sikman, Jelena Stojsic and Slobodan Djinovic held four days of workshops for NGO representatives at the Ibis hotel in Tbilisi. According to the SSS, they discussed “how to overthrow the government, how to resist the police and how to organise a coup”.
Opposition representatives strongly reject these accusations and describe them as politically motivated.
Pro-government media on the opposition in Georgia