Georgia struggles to stay out of war in Ukraine

Significance

The death of a Georgian national in Ukraine spurred controversy when the defence ministry put out an allegedly unauthorised statement blaming former President Mikheil Saakashvili for encouraging Georgians to fight for Kyiv. Georgians have been fighting on each side of the conflict, along with South Ossetians, Abkhazians and Chechens, although none of the last have been confirmed as coming from Georgia. The Ukraine conflict has become an alternative theatre for Georgia's contesting political and geopolitical visions.

Impacts

• Active participation in the Ukraine conflict may further spill over into the domestic political arena in Georgia, causing new controversies.
• Former Georgian officials' participation in Ukraine's new government may fuel resentment between Kyiv and the current government in Tbilisi.
• Georgian participation in Ukraine may also jeopardise relations with Russia, particularly if Moscow sees it as officially sanctioned.