Georgia was the first victim of Russian aggression and we warned Western partners about the continued threat from the Kremlin, said Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, speaking to the Uruguayan newspaper El Pais on his first South American visit.

“We were the first victim of Russian aggression, and in the last 30 years we have had 3 wars with Russia, with its direct or indirect participation. We have told our partners in the West, especially the EU and the US, that if Russia was not stopped, Georgia was not going to be the last place it would attack. Unfortunately we were right. Russia attacked again. But we were not surprised.

Russia used exactly the same playbook in Ukraine as in Georgia.
Georgia’s partners in the West, in the EU and in NATO better understand our concerns and understand now that without security in Georgia there is no security in the Black Sea region, and without security in the Black Sea [region] there is no security in Europe.

The Georgian Government had supported Ukraine in all international platforms since the Russian invasion.

We have received more than 30,000 Ukrainian [refugees] in Georgia, who are provided with care, housing and transportation by the Georgian Government. Georgia is the only country that has opened schools with [classes] in Ukrainian [language]. In political, diplomatic and humanitarian terms, we have supported Ukraine as we could, and we support the struggle for its sovereignty”, - said Nikoloz Samkharadze in the interview.