Thu Dec 05 11:01:16 UTC 2024: ## Zelenskyy Sanctions Georgian Leaders Amid Pro-Russia Accusations

**Tbilisi/Kyiv** – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has imposed sanctions on Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, billionaire ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and 17 other Georgian officials, accusing them of steering the country towards Russia’s orbit. The sanctions, announced Thursday, follow a week of large-scale protests in Georgia sparked by the government’s decision to delay EU accession talks until 2028.

Zelenskyy’s statement, delivered via Telegram, condemned the sanctioned officials for “handing Georgia over to Putin.” The sanctions include a 10-year ban on financial operations and property rights within Ukraine.

The protests, which have seen hundreds arrested, erupted after Prime Minister Kobakhidze’s announcement, a move widely attributed to Ivanishvili’s influence. Critics allege the October 26th parliamentary elections, seen as a referendum on EU membership, were rigged under Russian influence. Since 2022, the Georgian Dream party has enacted legislation seen as mirroring Russia’s crackdown on civil society and independent media, as well as restricting LGBTQ+ rights.

Georgia’s President Salome Zurabichvili, who is seeking to annul the election results, has appealed to Western allies for support. The US has already condemned the Georgian government’s response to the protests, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning of potential sanctions. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp called for the EU to suspend Georgia’s visa-free agreement and launch an investigation.

The Kremlin has denied interference, while former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned of Georgia following a “Ukrainian path” towards disaster. This situation comes against a backdrop of Russia’s 2008 war with Georgia and its subsequent recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Zelenskyy has urged European partners and the US to support Georgia’s pro-EU movement, highlighting the risks of inaction in the face of Russian influence.

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