Zaal Anjaparidze
Georgia and Ukraine are experiencing the lowest point in their history of diplomatic relations despite having once been viewed as close partners. They were even once considered a sort of package deal in their potential membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (NATO, April 3, 2008). On April 2, Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party amended its visa policy for Ukrainian citizens, reducing the visa-free stay duration from three years to one. This amendment comes just a year after the government extended Ukrainians’ visa-free stay from two to three years in solidarity with those fleeing the full-scale Russian invasion (Civil.ge, April 3). The reduction of the visa-free period appears to be Tbilisi’s penalty against Ukraine for supporting the pro-European Georgian opposition. Following Georgian Dream’s decision to postpone Georgia’s EU integration, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s honorary chairman and founder, and 19 other officials, accusing them of “selling out the interests of Georgia and its people” (Jam-News; AFP, November 28, 2024; Kyiv Independent; Ukrainska Pravda, December 5, 2024). Additionally, there were reports that the Ukrainian delegation and the Georgian opposition jointly prepared a resolution that was critical of the current Georgian government in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, criticizing Georgian Dream for democratic backsliding and demanding new parliamentary elections (Civil.ge, January 29; Freedom; 1tv.ge, January 30).
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