Kaladze Accuses EU of Double Standards Over Trade With Russia
By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Georgian Dream Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze accused the European Union of applying double standards by maintaining trade ties with Russia while urging Georgia to cut economic relations with Moscow and impose sanctions.
Speaking to journalists, Kaladze was asked about European countries continuing to buy Russian natural gas despite pressure on Georgia to sanction Russia. He said the EU's own trade data since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine showed that European countries had continued economic relations with Moscow.
"It's the usual double standard. It's a very good example of double standards, a very good example of how the European Union should not behave," Kaladze said.
He said Georgia would not impose sanctions if doing so was likely to damage its own economy.
"We are told that we should cut off all trade relations and impose sanctions on Russia. We know very well that by doing this we will not reduce anything for Russia, but we will harm our own country, people," he said.
Kaladze said the government's policy was based on Georgia's national interests and argued that maintaining economic ties with Russia protected jobs and household incomes.
"We are acting in the interests of our country and we must do everything to take steps that will benefit, first of all, our country, our people and the interests of our country," he said.
Kaladze also pointed to broader European trade with Russia, saying European countries had continued such ties even after calling on Georgia to sever its own economic relations with Moscow.
"Not only does it buy natural gas, look at various European countries, even in terms of trade relations, what are the data in recent years, after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out and after they called on us to break off trade relations, how can they continue all this on their own?" he said.
Georgia has declined to join Western sanctions against Russia, with the government repeatedly saying that such measures would harm the Georgian economy without changing Russia's policy.
