Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Decree No. 816/2024, introducing sanctions against Georgian officials responsible for what he described as the country’s “pro-Russian policies” and the :violent suppression of pro-European protests on December 4.”
Zelensky announced the decision in a video address, emphasizing the importance of a timely and firm international response.
“If the international community fails to react swiftly and decisively, we risk losing decades [of work] and depriving countries of their freedom,” he said, urging the United States, the European Union, and other global powers to follow Ukraine’s lead.
The sanctions focus on 19 key figures, including billionaire and founder of the ruling Pro-Russian Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, as well as senior officials:
- Irakli Kobakhidze – Prime Minister of Georgia
- Vakhtang Gomelauri – Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Grigol Liluashvili – Chief of the Georgian Security Service
- Kakha Kaladze – Mayor of Tbilisi
- Mamuka Mdinaradze – Executive Secretary of “Georgian Dream”
- Otar Partskhaladze – Former Prosecutor General of Georgia
Previously, the Kremlin speaker Dmitry Peskov stated that opposition protests in Georgia resembled Ukraine’s “Orange Revolution.”
On November 28, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would delay EU accession talks until the end of 2028. The decision triggered mass protests in Tbilisi, where thousands gathered in Freedom Square. Clashes between police and demonstrators turned violent, with authorities using water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
On November 29, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Georgian government for using force to disperse peaceful protests in Tbilisi and expressed disappointment over Georgia’s decision to suspend talks on European Union membership until 2028.
Header image: CNN
