Hands Off Georgia, Hands Off the Caucasus: Zurabishvili to Putin

The fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, shared details of her conversation with newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump during an interview with Fox News in Paris. She stated that she informed Trump that Georgia needs support against attempts to divert the country from the Euro-Atlantic path, a project by the 'Georgian Dream.'

"I specifically told him that Georgia needs support today, as long as this does not escalate into an open crisis. For 53 days now, people have been protesting in the streets against the illegal actions of a government that lacks constitutional authority, trying to divert Georgia from its Euro-Atlantic path. This is where we need U.S. support," she said.

Zurabishvili revealed that Trump responded positively, mentioning that he had been in Georgia (during Saakashvili's administration) and values the friendship between Georgia and the United States highly. The fifth president is confident that Trump will become a more reliable ally for Georgia when the country needs it most and should come into the spotlight of the American public.

When reminded by the journalist that Trump's first initiatives as president would include a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zurabishvili suggested that she would advise Trump to tell the Russian leader to keep his "hands off Georgia and hands off the Caucasus" because it is a matter of Western interests.

Zurabishvili believes that the Caucasus region should no longer remain under Russian dominance and requires the opportunity for independent existence. "European values have always been in focus here, and Georgia is a country with a very active civil society that wants to be part of the community representing the values of Europe and the United States. So, hands off Georgia," she emphasized.

Zurabishvili stated that Americans should consider the risks associated with the Georgian government's relationships with Russia, Iran, and China. This, she underlined, means that America would "lose its strategic interests at the center of the Caucasus region."

"And this is not just about the Caucasus; the issue also pertains to the Black Sea region. One of the main objectives of the aggressive war unleashed against Ukraine is the Black Sea. The same goals are served by attempts at election fraud in Romania and Moldova. The Black Sea is a strategic area for America. We have major ports in the Black Sea that could be handed over to China. This is exactly the kind of plan that the de facto government currently in power in Georgia is implementing. Thus, in this region, both U.S. and European interests are at risk," the fifth President of Georgia stated.

It is noted that Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony will take place on January 20, 2025, not outdoors as previously announced, but inside the U.S. Capitol building.