Ukraine and Baltic States Sanction Georgian Officials Including Ivanishvili Over Human Rights Abuses, Russian Influence

Dec 5, 2024, 07:55 AM

Ukraine has imposed sanctions on Georgian government officials, including Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, and Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, accusing them of surrendering Georgia to Russian influence. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree enforcing the sanctions, emphasizing that the level of violence against protestors in Georgia is "unacceptable" and warning that failure to act decisively could lead to "lost decades and nations robbed of their freedom." He accused the Georgian government of pushing the country towards dependence on Russia. Zelensky urged Europe and the United States to take decisive action against Moscow's influence. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielus Landsbergis expressed hope that "many more countries will join the Baltic States in sanctioning the people responsible." This move follows similar sanctions imposed by the Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—on Georgia's informal ruler and high-ranking officials due to their responsibility for human rights abuses. The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the ambassadors of the Baltic states in response to these sanctions.