During her visit to Brussels, Tina Bokuchava, the chairwoman of the United National Movement, emphasized the importance of turning political messages into action. She stated that there can be no discussion of EU expansion involving Georgia, as Bidzina Ivanishvili has openly declared war on the West and aligned with Russia, leading to sanctions against him and calls for his sanctioning by the UK. Bokuchava made these remarks on the Palitra News program "Dghis Newsroom" while discussing her Brussels visit.

According to Bokuchava, the EU's sanctions against Ivanishvili are being blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. She urged the EU to use diplomacy to convince Orbán to abandon situational cooperation with Ivanishvili.

“At the European People’s Parliamentary Assembly, we adopted a crucial resolution that will likely form the basis for a European Parliament resolution. It reaffirms the policy of non-recognition, a cornerstone of our foreign policy, and calls for the non-recognition of so-called illegitimate deputies from 'Georgian Dream' in any parliamentary assembly. It also demands the release of all political prisoners, including President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been imprisoned for four years. The resolution highlights the need for new elections as the only way to overcome the severe political crisis and return to the path of Euro-Atlantic integration.

I explained how vital it is to put political messages into action. Moldova opened negotiations and became an EU member within four years. Ukraine and Moldova, which have already received nearly €2 billion in aid, have opened negotiations. Imagine what kind of financial assistance Georgia is forfeiting because of Bidzina Ivanishvili's pro-Russian regime. Talks about EU expansion involving Georgia are impossible since Ivanishvili has declared war on the West and aligned with Russia,” Bokuchava noted.

She highlighted that suspending visa liberalization requires a qualified majority, while imposing individual sanctions at the EU level demands unanimous consent, which Orbán blocks using his veto power.

“Diplomacy is now essential to convince Orbán to give up his situational ties with Ivanishvili in favor of shared European policies. The UK may follow the US's lead in sanctioning Ivanishvili, leaving him unable to resolve these issues. The only solution Ivanishvili has left—but does not understand—is new elections. He lacks understanding of how decisions are made in the Western world. He believed sanctions discussions would remain rhetorical. I am confident he is being misled into thinking Donald Trump’s inauguration will lead to a review of US sanctions policy.

In reality, the opposite must occur. Sanctions should target those business figures and criminal groups tied to Ivanishvili, such as the Fkhakadzes and Rukhadze, who undermine the country with their misinformation through ‘Imedi.’ Shouldn’t they be sanctioned? I’ve discussed this in the US, but the argument was that Rukhadze is a US citizen, making global application of the Magnitsky Act challenging. This is where the UK comes in, as companies linked to ‘Imedi’ are registered there,” Bokuchava explained.

Bokuchava also remarked that since 2012, when Ivanishvili came to power, it was evident he would follow the path of Ukraine's former President Viktor Yanukovych.

“We’ve seen since 2012 that Ivanishvili's endgame would mirror Yanukovych's. For years, the West clung to the idea that despite his anti-democratic actions, he wasn’t pro-Russian. If the West had responded earlier, as it does now, we could have fought their disinformation campaigns more effectively,” Bokuchava stated.

Regarding Georgian Dream's proposal to establish a parliamentary investigative commission to assess the legal actions of the United National Movement during its time in power, Bokuchava called the initiative absurd.

“It’s absurd for the criminal group that came to power in 2012 to talk about investigating the United National Movement. The government will soon change; they’ve isolated the country...

Put handcuffs on us—I, personally, and no member of our party are afraid. We’ve endured everything over the past 12 years. There isn’t a political leader Bidzina Ivanishvili hasn’t prosecuted, imprisoned, or threatened. No one fears Ivanishvili—Putin’s slave—or his followers in this country,” Bokuchava declared.