Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that if Georgia were to join the EU, Russia would be forced to add the country to its list of "unfriendly countries"—with all the ensuing consequences.

In response to a question from pro-Kremlin Georgian journalist Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, Zakharova said, “Russia would have to include—I'm not saying we want this—but given the EU's new requirements, we would have to add Georgia to the list of countries with unfriendly regimes and extend our retaliatory economic measures to it, with all the ensuing consequences for Georgian producers of mineral water, fruit, wine—everything imported into our country.”

Zakharova added that “if Georgia were to join the European Union, it would be forced to participate in military support schemes for Ukraine.”

She added that the Russian side does not understand how Tbilisi could seek to join an association whose members impose sanctions on Georgia for no reason, provoke it into new anti-Russian military adventures, openly support attempts to organize a coup in Georgia, and impose "alien anti-values" on the Georgian people through financial and economic leverage, forcing them to abandon their culture and identity.

The Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokesperson noted that EU membership is only possible if a country transfers a significant portion of its national sovereignty to Brussels.

“We are accustomed to Brussels demanding unquestioning obedience from third countries. What Brussels is currently doing with Georgia is just one example, but there are countless similar examples with regard to other countries.”

She also asserts that the number of euroskeptics is growing in Georgia and that there are political forces in the country advocating for neutrality.

Zakharova asserts that, in recent years, the European Union has prioritized "forceful and prioritized adherence" to anti-Russian sanctions.

"These are illegitimate sanctions, illegal sanctions, sanctions that circumvent the UN Security Council. What will this mean for Georgia in practice? For example, it could mean the cessation of air travel with Russia and the introduction of a strict visa regime.

Zakharova also believes that, given the destructive demands from Brussels, Georgia's accession to the EU "would deal a severe blow to Georgia's tourism industry and jeopardize ties between relatives living in Georgia and Russia."

"They would simply lose the opportunity to visit each other easily," she concluded.