JAMnews. Is there a risk of escalation of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict in the geopolitical context, which is being dramatically changed by the ongoing war in Ukraine? Where is Georgia going – to Europe or to Russia? JAMnews reporters asked these questions to the residents of Abkhazia.
Context Thousands of anti-Russian rallies in Tbilisi in early March 2023 caused a great resonance in Abkhazia. “A new government may come to Tbilisi, which will be ready to open a “second front,” say Abkhaz politicians and experts. President Aslan Bzhaniya in his public speeches also repeatedly mentioned the threat of attack from the Georgian side.
These sentiments are fueled by statements from Moscow. In parallel with the actions in Georgia, high-ranking officials of the Russian government, one after another, made statements about the expected provocations and the threat of war. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow is concerned about possible risks in relation to Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov compared the events in Tbilisi with Maidan in Kyiv. He said the protests against the bill were just a pretext for a forceful change of government. Speaker of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin said that Georgia is losing its sovereignty due to American pressure and it was the United States that organized large-scale protests in Tbilisi.
Source: Aravot
