President Salome Zurabishvili: The Georgian people know bowing to Russia does not bring peace

At the Warsaw Security Conference, President Salome Zurabishvili warned that succumbing to Russia’s pressures will not lead to peace or regional coexistence. She underlined that Georgia, facing a hybrid war of propaganda and legal manipulation, must remain steadfast in defending its sovereignty and European future.

Zurabishvili highlighted that while Ukraine grapples with military aggression, Georgia is battling a different kind of conflict—one marked by Russian hybrid tactics such as disinformation, fear, and legislative tools aimed at weakening civil society. She pointed to the so-called "Russian law" designed to pressure NGOs as a symbol of this threat.

“We are experiencing another type of aggression, which is a hybrid war, propaganda, all kinds of pressure,” Zurabishvili stated, explaining that these pressures are part of a broader Russian strategy aimed at destabilizing Georgia.

Despite these challenges, the president expressed confidence in the resilience of the Georgian people, noting that they have withstood decades of Russian aggression, dating back to 1921 and continuing after Georgia’s independence in 1991. "The Georgian people know that bowing down does not bring peace," she affirmed.

Zurabishvili also reflected on the government’s response to these pressures, remarking that a small group close to the ruling elite may support these pro-Russian policies due to corruption and personal gain. However, she stressed that this does not represent the majority of the population.

“There are people who support such policies, but this is a very small group,” she said, attributing their stance to the privileges they enjoy within the current power structure.

The President voiced her optimism that the upcoming elections would reveal the strength of the Georgian people’s will to resist these pressures and maintain their pursuit of a European future. "I believe that by the time of the elections, the will of the Georgian people will overcome these threats," she concluded.

The South Caucasus: Strategic Autonomy Needed
Estonian Ambassador: I will be leaving Tbilisi later this week - Does my departure reflect the current state of relations between Georgia and Estonia? Of course it does - I cannot hide that
UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy - “We will leave no stone unturned to make sure that we do defend ourselves”