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Russia’s influence over Georgia is waning as the country faces widespread protests sparked by the suspension of negotiations for European Union membership.
Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Tbilisi, the capital, to oppose the ruling party, Georgian Dream’s decision to halt discussions with the EU until 2028.
While the Kremlin has historically managed to suppress local uprisings, this situation appears to be more challenging for Vladimir Putin.
The ruling party recently claimed victory in elections marred by allegations of fraud. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has urged citizens to contest the results and join the street protests. Meanwhile, Moscow denies any interference in the election process.
“There is a real prospect that the Kremlin’s efforts to forge a renewed regional role may prove unsuccessful, and Moscow may emerge from the process of realignment a significantly reduced regional force,” said the reports author Dr Neil Melvin , RUSI’s Director of International Security.
“While Georgian Dream is considered pro-Russia, actually it is playing both sides against each other to maintain its independence and power base – it has no desire to become a Russian vassal, so it makes assurances about not aligning itself with the West,” he added.
