Support The Moscow Times!

Kremlin Says Georgian Government Trying to ‘Stabilize’ Situation

Protesters in front of the Parliament building in Tbilisi. Alexander Patrin / TASS

The Kremlin said Monday that Georgia's government was seeking to stabilize the situation and restore calm after mass pro-EU protests.

“The Georgian authorities are taking measures to stabilize, return the situation to calm,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists after Georgian police fired water cannons and tear gas at tens of thousands of demonstrators in Tbilisi on Sunday.

Russia “has not interfered and does not intend to interfere” in events in Georgia, Peskov said, calling the protests “an internal matter.”

But he said that Russia views the protests over the ruling party's victory in October — in parliamentary elections condemned by the opposition as rigged — as an “attempt to stir up the situation.”

“We have seen such events in a whole number of countries. The most direct parallel you can draw is the Maidan,” Peskov said, referring to the 2014 mass protests in Kyiv that overthrew pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych.

Peskov added that Russia sees “all the signs of carrying out an Orange Revolution,” in the Georgia protests. 

The Orange Revolution comments refer to Ukraine's 2004 pro-democracy protests over Kremlin-backed Yanukovych's victory in fraud-tainted polls, which led to the election's cancellation. His opponent Viktor Yushchenko then won a fresh vote.

On Thursday, the EU Parliament called for new elections in Georgia, criticizing them over “numerous and serious electoral violations, including documented cases of intimidation of voters, vote manipulation, interference with election observers and media and reported manipulation involving electronic voting machines.”

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more