New alliances unveiled: Is this nation now siding with Putin?

Putin needs more friends
West Vs. East
How to lose friends and alienate people
The one European exception
Between Russia and Iran
Farther and farther from the West
Crashing spheres
Hybrid war
Upcoming elections
'Agents of foreign influence'
'The Russian law'
Hitting the streets
The Georgian Dream
Back in the USSR
Birthplace of Stalin
Reviving the Soviet Union?
Putin needs more friends

When Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine in February 2022, he quickly realized that his decision was going to cause him to lose many international friends and allies.

West Vs. East

The United States, the European Union retaliated with harsh sanctions against Moscow, while major companies have abandoned Russian territory.

How to lose friends and alienate people

Former allies like Hungary and Poland started to turn against the Kremlin as well. Even China’s one of Russia’s biggest allies and major trading partner have become ambivalent towards Moscow.

The one European exception

However, there’s one country in Europe where the government could turn in favor of Putin faster than you might suspect.

Between Russia and Iran

At first glance, Georgia might not seem like much. However, this country of 3.7 million inhabitants in the Caucasus borders on the north with Russia and south with Iran. Not exactly the best neighbors at the moment.

Farther and farther from the West

To top it all, Newsweek writes that the relations between the Georgian government in Tbilisi and the West are quickly going downhill.

Crashing spheres

Meanwhile, the relationship between Tbilisi and Moscow has been described by Newsweek as “ascendant” as the United States and the European Union lose their sphere of influence in the region.

Hybrid war

According to Newsweek, Pro-Western politicians in Georgia claim that their country is being the target of a hybrid war over control ignited by Moscow.

Upcoming elections

Georgia’s parliamentary elections are programmed to take place later this year, on October 26. Many experts fear that it might be the last chance to stop the shift towards Moscow.

'Agents of foreign influence'

France24 writes that, earlier this year, the government of Georgia approved a new law in which organizations that received over 20% from abroad had to register as “agents of foreign influence”.

'The Russian law'

Critics of the bill, nicknamed “the Russian Law”, claimed that it was inspired by similar crackdowns from the Kremlin against political dissidence, particularly those opposing Vladimir Putin.

Hitting the streets

According to France24, massive demonstrations took place in the streets in Tbilisi and elsewhere as citizens expressed their rejection of the so-called Russian law.

The Georgian Dream

The Georgian Dream, the party currently in government, defended itself, claiming that it was seeking to stop foreign powers to meddle in its internal affairs, Newsweek writes.

Back in the USSR

Some protestors interviewed by France24 claim to be fearful that Georgia is going backwards, specifically back when it was part of the Soviet Union.

Birthplace of Stalin

After all, Georgia is the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union for several decades and one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.

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Reviving the Soviet Union?

Will Georgia’s increasingly illiberal government become a helpful ally to the Kremlin? Only time will tell, but the forecast seems rather bleak.

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