During the UN General Assembly on September 25, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of Russia’s ongoing aggression and claimed that Georgia had become dependent on Moscow, sparking sharp rebuttals from Georgian Dream officials, who defended Georgia’s democratic record and leadership among EU candidate states.

Zelenskyy's Remarks

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, addressed the UN General Assembly and warned that Russia would not stop its aggression unless defeated, while also claiming that "we have already lost Georgia in Europe" as human rights and democratic standards in the country were "shrinking." In his speech, Zelenskyy stated, "Georgia is dependent on Russia and… Belarus has also been moving towards dependence on Russia." He added, "Putin will keep driving the war forward, wider and deeper… Ukraine is only the first. Russian drones are already flying across Europe. Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova too."

Response from Georgian Dream

Responding to these remarks on September 24, Irakli Kirtskhalia, the Leader of the Georgian Dream faction in parliament, criticized Zelenskyy and said, "Before this puppet dares, as his officials dared, to insult and directly call our country to war, let him first wash his mouth and then talk about our country." Kirtskhalia emphasized that the Ukrainian president had no right to accuse Georgia of dependence on Russia. Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Georgia, also reacted to Zelenskyy’s statements, underscoring that "Georgia remains the undisputed leader among the candidate countries for the European Union, particularly in terms of democracy and human rights." He noted that Georgia was ten points ahead of all other candidate states in these areas. "I do not wish to engage in a polemic with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He is the president of a country at war, and therefore, regardless of what he says, I do not see it as necessary to respond," Kobakhidze stated. He further emphasized that while Ukraine faced "a tragic situation" regarding democracy and human rights, Georgia was "the unquestioned leader among European Union candidate countries."