On June 5, Sergey Naryshkin, Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), accused Britain of orchestrating efforts to destabilize Georgia and overthrow the ruling Georgian Dream party through covert operations and funding of opposition groups.

The SVR alleged that London is financing nearly 100 youth and student organizations, feminist movements, and LGBT groups to boost protest activity and train individuals for potential resistance against law enforcement and acts of sabotage. The statement claimed that “the West is frustrated by Georgia’s efforts to assert independence from the influence of liberal-globalist forces and their values, which are alien to the Georgian people.” It further argued that Western governments, particularly Britain, are irritated by Tbilisi’s shift from what was once, under Mikheil Saakashvili, the “locomotive of democratization” in the South Caucasus to what the SVR described as an “authoritarian path” prioritizing national interests.

According to the SVR, Britain has taken a leading role in this campaign by increasing financial support for Georgian opposition NGOs and encouraging them to engage in more radical anti-government activities, with the goal of destabilizing the current government and realigning Georgia with Western interests. The SVR stated, “It appears the Anglo-Saxons cannot accept Tbilisi’s departure from the ranks of their unconditional vassals,” and contended that London disregards the Georgian public, which, in the 2024 parliamentary elections, expressed support for the nationally oriented policies of the country’s leadership.