Zourabichvili Warns Georgia is Becoming a 'Passive Object' of Russian Influence
By Messenger Staff
Monday, February 23, 2026
In a recent interview with Monocle Radio, the fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, expressed deep concern over the country's current standing in international relations. She warned that Georgia is "falling off the map" for its Western allies, a shift she believes risks ceding the nation to Russian control without a fight.
"Unfortunately, what concerns the US and Europe, Georgia is off the map, and that is a very big concern, because falling off the map is for Georgia losing its historic role in this region and beyond this region," Zourabichvili said.
The President argued that Russia has adopted a "hybrid strategy" to dominate Georgia by influencing its government and legislative agenda rather than launching a military invasion. She noted that many recent laws appear to be "copies of laws made in Russia" and highlighted concerns regarding the circumvention of international sanctions.
"Russia is never going to be satisfied completely, but it has found a new strategy, which is a hybrid strategy of how to control, take control of a state without having to go through the very difficult military invasion that it's going through in Ukraine," she stated.
When asked how European allies could help Georgia return to its pro-European path, Zourabichvili acknowledged that citizens must primarily "count on themselves." However, she urged the European Union to find more creative ways to support Georgian civil society and those who have left government service in protest.
"Support some of the people, for instance, the diplomats who have resigned from the diplomatic service, because they were in disagreement with the decision about closing down the European path," Zourabichvili suggested. "Those people could be supported to have a think tank in Brussels and work on the prospects for Georgian integration."
She also called for increased backing for investigative journalists, activists, and students to ensure the country's democratic aspirations remain viable.
