Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s appearance alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ashgabat during the December International Year of Peace and Trust Forum fueled speculation about backchannel contacts, signaling a symbolic post-2008 thaw amid Moscow’s pressure and Tbilisi’s mixed messaging on dialogue and territorial integrity. Georgian Dream publicly defends Georgian sovereignty while making concessions aligned with Russian demands, advancing a neutrality narrative that weakens Euro-Atlantic integration, normalizes Moscow’s influence, and reframes North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and EU aspirations as unrealistic or destabilizing. Deepening economic, infrastructural, and informational ties with Russia—including energy dependence, trade routes, and media messaging—illustrate Georgia’s strategic drift toward Moscow, where “neutrality” increasingly functions as a vehicle for Russian leverage rather than genuine independence.
Georgia Drifting Back Into Russia’s Orbit (Beka Chedia – The Jamestown Foundation)
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