President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree implementing sanctions against pro-Russian leadership in Georgia, including billionaire and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and his associates, according to a presidential address on 5 December 2024.
The sanctions are in response to the violent suppression of anti-government protests in Georgia, which erupted after the decision to suspend EU integration.
“I have just signed a decree that gives effect to the National Security and Defense Council’s decision on sanctions. These sanctions target the part of the Georgian government that is surrendering Georgia to Putin,” Zelenskyy stated.
The Ukrainian president called on European and American partners, as well as the broader international community, to take similar principled action. He warned that failure to respond promptly and decisively could result in “lost decades and countries deprived of freedom.”
“We must not lose anyone in this region – neither Georgia, nor Moldova, nor Ukraine,” Zelenskyy emphasized, urging unified defense against Moscow’s influence. “We must stand united in defending ourselves against Moscow. And we call on Europe, America, and everyone in the world to do the same – to act with principle.”
A similar move against pro-Russian elements within Georgia’s leadership was taken by the Baltic states.
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