On September 26, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned Georgian Dream’s new campaign banners, which draw a comparison between the devastation of war in Ukraine and the “peace” offered by the ruling party to Georgia.
The Ministry stated it “condemns and considers unacceptable the use of images of the horrific consequences of Russia’s ruthless war against Ukraine, the suffering and blood of thousands of innocent people, the destruction of shrines and the cultural heritage of humanity in political advertising.”
The Ministry stressed that the Georgian people “need not fear a new war as long as Ukraine resists Russian aggression,” adding that “the terrible price of this resistance is also the price of peace in Georgia.”
“We call on the Government of Georgia, the ruling Georgian Dream party, and all interested parties to refrain from using the topic of an aggressive war against Ukraine and its citizens in the internal political struggle in Georgia,” noted the Ministry.
The Ukrainian side once again reaffirmed its commitment to “continue to steadily and resolutely support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders” and expressed its hope that “the parliamentary elections in Georgia will be held in a peaceful and democratic manner and that the Georgian people will continue their strategic course towards joining the EU and NATO.”
GD’s new campaign banners appeared around the capital, Tbilisi, on September 26. The banners show the devastation brought by Russia’s war in Ukraine on one side and similar locations in “peaceful” Georgia on the other. The slogan is “Say no to war – Choose peace,” and the party numbers of the main opposition coalitions are crossed out on the grim, “war” side of the poster.
The source of the pictures is the information agency “Info 9“
The new banners have been met with widespread public outcry in Georgia. President Salome Zurabishvili also condemned the banners, writing on social media: “I have never seen anything so disgraceful, so insulting to our culture, traditions, history, and beliefs… What situation you must be in to brazenly and shamelessly offer your people a poster made in the KGB warehouse… “with dignity” to hell!”
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