Rustavi 2

Shalva Papuashvili: To this day, no one has managed to get the EU ambassador to condemn the storming of the President’s Palace - because they know that the moment they condemn the violence, they condemn their own actions, and they know that in this respect they are caught in a dead end regarding the violence.

Shalva Papuashvili: The main principle on which the international order is based is respect for the sovereignty of other peoples. That patronizing tone with which some European Commissioner dares to speak to the Georgian people is unacceptable.

Irakli Kobakhidze: We cannot allow certain forces to use the issue of European integration as a weapon of blackmail against the Georgian people. We still aim to become a full member of the European Union, but we want to continue this path only in accordance with the principles of rules and justice.

Shalva Papuashvili: It has been confirmed that disinformation and propaganda are financed by foreign grants, and false conclusions regarding the elections were financed by donors. So, don't look for the problem in the Georgian people; look for the problem in yourselves.

Shalva Papuashvili: In June 2024, Brussels, with the aim of influencing the Georgian people, halted the integration process by its decision. They offer us an inverted reality through propaganda. Propaganda may have a short-term effect, but it cannot permanently hide the truth.

Mikheil Kavelashvili on Herchinski's letter: We were already talking about this issue back then — that when there's talk of suspension, this had already been announced by the European Union in June, but who listened?!

Shalva Papuashvili: The first step Brussels must take to return to the path of European values is to renounce disinformation and propaganda. Only by restoring the truth can Brussels once again become the Europe that was once regarded as a synonym for freedom and justice.

Nino Tsilosani: It's a scandalous letter in which the EU ambassador confirms that, not as Irakli Kobakhidze claimed, but 5 months earlier, by the EU's own decision, the question of Georgia's accession had been suspended.

Georgia does not have diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation. Candidate countries, such as Moldova, have diplomatic relations; their politicians visit Russia without any obstacles and nobody criticizes them for it. Russia's share in Georgia's trade is much lower compared to other countries that are considered pro-European. These are facts; the rest is just speculation. - This was stated by Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in an interview with TRT WORLD.

Since 2022 we have been facing artificial challenges on the road to the European Union. Ultimately, not only did Georgia not stop anything, but the European bureaucracy decided to suspend Georgia's European integration for some time. Compared to other candidate countries, Georgia is much further ahead in terms of democracy, human rights and economic development. - Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said this in an interview with TRT WORLD.

“The only obligation envisaged by the 'On Transparency' law is the financial reporting by non-governmental organizations to state bodies. Large amounts of funding were coming into Georgia from various sources that were intended to foster revolutionary scenarios in the country. The Trump administration also confirmed this type of negative practice carried out through USAID and other institutions. - Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said in an interview with TRT WORLD.

Scandalous letter and the EU ambassador's admission - Pawel Herczynski confirms that the decision to suspend Georgia's accession to the European Union was made by them five months before Irakli Kobakhidze's statement.

Archil Gorduladze on the European Commission report: They demand that the prosecutor be elected by a qualified majority. This is an attempt to capture the system. We will no longer take such absurd demands seriously in the future. We have the people's mandate and we will decide ourselves who will be the Prosecutor General.

Giorgi Grdzelishvili: The Prime Minister expressed our political team's concern that no European country, including the new US administration, condemned the attempt to overthrow the government. Meanwhile - Mzia Amaglobeli, who has been convicted of violence, became the recipient of the World Press Freedom Hero award.

Shalva Papuashvili on Anita Hiper: She eagerly seized on comparisons to the Russian services, which is absolutely despicable propaganda - this is a feeble attempt to evade responsibility in order to incite the overthrow of the government

The U.S. Senate passed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, from which the provision concerning the "Friends Act" related to Georgia has been removed.

"Unified Neutral Georgia": We are beginning consultations with public movements, scientific circles and any interested parties so that, as soon as possible, a referendum is held in Georgia to determine the will of the Georgian population — whether the citizens of our country want Georgia to become such a member of the European Union where children change their sex and parents cannot speak up.

"United Neutral Georgia": The fact is, in the United States today LGBT issues have been pushed as far into the background as possible. In the European Union, however, this ugly ideology of the "Deep State" is, with renewed force, beginning to exert a devastating impact on public consciousness, on the identities of states, and on the histories of nations.

Elene Khoshtaria, Zurab Girchi Japaridze and Giorgi Vashadze periodically provided information and documentary materials, including lists of persons employed in the public service, to representatives of foreign states in order to impose sanctions. As a result, sanctions were imposed by various countries on approximately 300 Georgian citizens in total, including political officeholders, public servants and certain businessmen."

Levan Machavariani on the possible suspension of visa liberalization: This is the last bullet in their blackmail mechanism's chamber. I think they won't use this bullet, because if they were 100% certain that suspending visas would trigger a revolution and bring in agents, they would suspend it; if they're not certain, in that case they won't burn their bridges with Georgia completely.

Irakli Kadagishvili on European bureaucrats: their political interests are one thing; Georgia's are entirely different. Their aim is to have a government in Georgia that will carry out every assignment.

Irakli Kobakhidze on the European Commission's report: It is very regrettable when we see such a scale of injustice and distortion of facts on the part of the European bureaucracy. At such times a danger arises and damage is inflicted not only on the reputation of the European bureaucracy, but also on the reputation of the European Union. Today the activities of the European bureaucracy have descended to the level of Soviet standards, which is very regrettable and saddening.

Irakli Kobakhidze: At Euronest they had actually invited representatives of the radical opposition under the guise of NGOs. In such a situation, the participation of the Georgian delegation was absolutely irrational.

Irakli Kobakhidze: We have great hope that the situation in the European Union will change and that fairness will be the principle by which representatives of the European bureaucracy are guided in the future; however, today this is not the case, and the best expression of that is the European Commission's report.

Shalva Papuashvili: The EU ambassador's deliberate refusal to unequivocally condemn the violent storming of the President's Palace is the best illustration of Brussels' value backsliding and anti-democratic trajectory.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia: We condemn all attempts aimed at using the issue of joining the European Union as a political instrument, which harm relations between Georgia and the European Union.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia: The Government of Georgia, as a responsible and loyal partner, once again reaffirms its desire for constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with the European Union, based on respect, common values and principles and not coercion.

Shalva Papuashvili: We want to make it clear that if anyone has stepped back as a result of such an unjust, biased, anti-democratic and destructive attitude aimed at polarizing the country, it is precisely the current governing institutions of the European Union.

"On 4 November 2025 the European Commission published a joint communication on enlargement policy, which includes a report on the efforts made by candidate and potential candidate countries, including Georgia, on the path to accession to the European Union. It is alarming that the enlargement report has been used with regard to Georgia to voice unfounded negative assessments and for yet another political speculation. It is regrettable that the European Commission's report tends to assess a number of events in a biased manner with regard to Georgia, which is not surprising, especially since the EU institutions have been stubbornly turning a blind eye to the attacks and violence against Georgian state institutions in connection with the events that took place in Tbilisi during the local self-government elections on 4 October 2025. Moreover, the joint statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kosa, regarding this matter forms the basis for a mistaken interpretation of the events," the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia says.

Shalva Papuashvili: Brussels is lying in the report it presented about the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence when it portrays as a violation of fundamental rights a document literally translated from Western analogues and says nothing about the truth that EU funds are being used to finance radicalism and disinformation.

Shalva Papuashvili: In today's enlargement report on Georgia, worn-out political accusations, lies, hostile rhetoric and deliberate malice are organically intertwined. This is the Georgia seen from Brussels' offices, which has nothing to do with the real Georgia.

Shalva Papuashvili: As long as Brussels does not condemn and does not distance itself from the violent storming of the Georgian president's palace by groups supported by it, it will remain a supporter of extremism.

Shalva Papuashvili: I understand the disappointment, but we must separate Brussels from the European Union - we are not entering Brussels, we are talking about joining the European Union, so in the EU we should support the forces that share the right values!

According to the Administration of the Government of Georgia, yesterday the Prime Minister canceled the meeting scheduled with the Finnish Foreign Minister due to participation in an illegal rally and making false statements.

Shalva Papuashvili: What weight does Elina Valtonen’s statement supporting sovereignty in Odzi have when she herself violates sovereignty on Rustaveli Avenue?

Irakli Kobakhidze on Finland's Foreign Minister: We made a decision to cancel this meeting, which put her in an awkward position, and she tried to get out of that awkwardness by the same method she used to try to get out of the awkwardness related to participating in the gathering as the 51st person.

Irakli Kobakhidze: The Finnish foreign minister has been tasked with encouraging a revolutionary process in Georgia, which from the outset is doomed to failure. This person even shaved his head and joined a 50-person illegal protest. He had to lie, saying people are gathering now and that Finnish flags are flying. He is of a lower level than Baia Pataraia and Salome Zurabishvili. This is the real face that the European bureaucracy is showing us.

Irakli Kobakhidze : 50 so‑called "akatsuki" were gathered at that rally and the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs arrived as the 51st "akatsuki" at that meeting, which is unimaginable. This speaks to the extremely dire state that exists in the depths of European bureaucracy.

Shalva Papuashvili on the enlargement report: The expectation of fair approaches is increasingly diminishing - Brussels is experiencing a backsliding in values and is completely detached from shared European values.

Shalva Papuashvili: Gorbachev's comrade Yuknevichiene and Lagodinsky, born in Astrakhan, are speaking to us in the name of Europe - you can take a person out of the Soviet Union, but you cannot take the Soviet Union out of a person.

Shalva Papuashvili on the list of predators of press freedom: Apparently there was an order to include Bidzina Ivanishvili’s name; they relied on old information and spoke an absolute absurdity — this is the organization that declared Nika Gvaramia imprisoned because of his journalistic activities, and which the Strasbourg court later overturned with its decision and exposed as biased.

Shalva Papuashvili: Mamuka Khazaradze is engaging in a xenophobic-style campaign; if he is such a patriot and beats his chest, then he should terminate the contract with the German ambassador and rent the apartment to a Georgian.

Shalva Papuashvili: One month has passed since the failed coup took place in Georgia, financed by forces from abroad, which resulted in 25 police officers being injured. To this day neither the EU ambassador nor Commissioners Koss and Kallas have condemned the attack on the President's Palace or inquired about the fate of these officers.

Zaza Shatirishvili: It is comical that a once-authoritative international organization included Bidzina Ivanishvili in its 34-person 2025 list of "predators of press freedom," because if anywhere in the world today there is a free media and media pluralism, Georgia is among the foremost.

Maka Bochorishvili: The decision by Georgia's delegation not to take part in the plenary session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly is correct, since a platform that was created for cooperation and no longer serves that purpose cannot be of interest to us.

Maka Bochhorishvili: We have an elected government; this is a democratic country, and the Euronest delegation cannot tell the Georgian people which direction to take their country's development.

Shalva Papuashvili: Georgia has always made a constructive, fruitful and significant contribution to the Eastern Partnership initiative. If the European Parliament creates the appropriate conditions for constructive dialogue, Georgia's parliamentary delegation will be ready to re-engage in the aforementioned parliamentary platform of the Eastern Partnership.

Shalva Papuashvili: We call on the European Parliament to reject a narrow political agenda and to respect the rules-based international order. The European Parliament's current anti-democratic approaches are a direct path to the self-isolation and marginalization of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

Shalva Papuashvili: The European Parliament has turned the Euronest platform into a tool for blackmailing neighboring countries and for the forcible imposition of its own parochial political agenda. Accordingly, taking into account the hostile and parochial approaches of these forces within the European Parliament, Georgia’s standing parliamentary delegation will not participate in subsequent Euronest sessions.

Irakli Kobakhidze: We hope that by 2030 the European bureaucracy itself will change, and in that case joining the European Union will be beneficial for Georgia.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs fined the OSCE's current chair, Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, 5,000 lari for participating in the illegal closure of a road.

Shalva Papuashvili: Regarding October 4 there was a plan and that plan was absolutely synchronized with foreigners. We saw, minute by minute, what was happening in Tbilisi, how some Members of the European Parliament reacted to it — the plan was called the Nepalization of Georgia.

Shalva Papuashvili: Are we different kinds of people in America and in Georgia, what's going on? It is an absolute absurdity to conclude that what is acceptable in America is not acceptable for Georgians — if the Venice Commission is going to look at us so segregationally, that's a separate issue.

Kakha Kaladze: Elina Valtoneni, the owner of the "Akatsukebi" standing on Rustaveli Avenue, came to visit her own 'children"

At a rally in Finland, a former candidate for the European Parliament was fined for shouting at Ursula von der Leyen — by court ruling, they need police permission to take part in any demonstration in Finland.

Irakli Kobakhidze: The European Commission’s press spokesperson directly expressed support for the attempt to overthrow; after that they had greater responsibility to condemn the attempt to storm the palace, yet they remain silent, which indicates the grave state of the European bureaucracy.

Prime Minister: Everyone sees that the German ambassador is directly involved in political activities, which is a violation of the Vienna Convention; it is very good that the highest-rated German party has expressed interest in all of this. An ambassador cannot behave like this in the country where he represents his own state.

Kakha Kaladze: We know where the processes inside the country are being directed from, who is financing them. The OSCE chairman came and saw how his "children" are carrying out the assignment.

Kakha Kaladze: Peter Fischer, aside from his diplomatic duties, does everything — he facilitates societal confrontation and division and promotes extremist organizations. It's good that questions were raised about him in Germany as well.

Shalva Papuashvili on Finland's foreign minister: It is precisely this kind of headstrong activism that exemplifies the EU's current foreign policy

Shalva Papuashvili: The backer of this propagandistic video, which aims to incite hatred among people, is the EU Embassy - let's see how the EU Embassy will react to hatred being fostered with its money

Shalva Papuashvili: In Helsinki they arrest people when they block roads, 50 people were arrested because of that, and here the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs himself blocked the road

Maka Bochorishvili: Everyone saw very clearly that canceling visa-free travel and using it as blackmail is unfounded; it became clear that the European Union is not willing to allow visa-free travel to be turned, with a single stroke, into an instrument of policymaking.

Maka Bochorishvili: No one can frighten you, as the government, by saying “I will suspend visa‑free travel” when on the other side of the scales stands the country’s stability and security, which are vital for your country’s and your children’s future. They talk to you about democratic backsliding while they themselves disregard democracy.

Chair of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee Armin Laschet: How can such an inexperienced person as Kaja Kallas become the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs? European foreign policy is in a serious crisis.

Shalva Papuashvili: Zviad Tsetskhladze, with whom, as it turned out, the EU ambassador has correspondence, was cold-bloodedly planning a street war — it was obvious long ago that the anti-Georgian course chosen by Brussels would come to supporting terrorists.

Zaal Anjaparidze: The EU's awarding of the Sakharov Prize to Mzia Amaglobeli for slapping a police officer is yet another clear sign of how different the value and worldview systems of Georgian society and the European Union are.

Shalva Papuashvili: The false glorification of the perpetrator has spawned new perpetrators; one Molotov cocktail was followed by ten, one burned car — an attempt to burn down the Parliament of Georgia with the EU flag in hand.

Kakha Kaladze: As for the EU ambassador's letter, when you are an ambassador and directly encourage violent groups, extremism, and the deepening of polarization, that is very serious.