Georgia warns it may publish proof of Western push for “second front” against Russia

Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party has warned it could publish evidence showing that Western countries pressured Tbilisi to open a “second front” against Russia if what it describes as blackmail from Brussels and Washington does not stop.

The party’s secretary-general and Tbilisi mayor, Kakha Kaladze, said the West sought to drag Georgia into war, but the government had so far resisted. Georgian officials have previously spoken of similar pressure but refrained from releasing documents.

Kaladze’s remarks were seen as a sign that Tbilisi’s patience has worn thin in the face of Western criticism accusing Georgia of pursuing “pro-Russian policies” and backsliding on democracy. The European Union is reportedly considering suspending the visa-free regime, in place since 2017, as pressure ahead of Georgia’s local elections in October.

Calls from Ukraine

According to Tbilisi, the clearest calls for opening a “second front” came from Ukraine. In early 2022, then–Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced Georgia would not join sanctions against Russia, warning the economy could shrink by 10% if it did. The government now expects more than 7% growth this year, crediting that decision.

Former Ukrainian Security Council chief Oleksiy Danilov urged Georgia and Moldova in March 2022 to open conflicts in their separatist regions—South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Transnistria. Similar appeals were made by presidential advisers Oleksiy Arestovych and Mykhailo Podolyak.

In 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky argued that Russia had weakened and Georgia had a chance to restore its territorial integrity. Later, after Tbilisi refused Kyiv’s request to return air defense systems previously sold to Georgia, Zelensky recalled his ambassador.

Pressure from the US

Kaladze claimed US pressure took place largely behind closed doors. He accused Western envoys of delivering “direct threats, blackmail, and insults” during meetings with Prime Minister Garibashvili’s office. Both Kaladze and party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili alleged that Western officials told them, “You will last three to four days, then you will start guerrilla warfare.”

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said US Ambassador Kelly Degnan told him and Garibashvili on February 28, 2022, to “choose the right side” against Russia, marking the first time the “second front” idea was raised. Papuashvili also cited former US official Evelyn Farkas as encouraging Georgia to enter the war, dismissing the risks with the remark: “So what?”

For now, Georgia has withheld releasing audio recordings and documents. But observers note that if ties with Washington and Brussels deteriorate further, Tbilisi may make the evidence public.