In the early weeks of the war, the three former Soviet republics filed emergency petitions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s and Moldova’s future appear to be bright. Georgia, on the other hand, was hit with a harsh European Parliament resolution on Thursday, which one MEP called as the last “wake-up call” to the Tbilisi government.
Although the three countries are known as the Association Trio for their cooperation with the EU on everything from political changes to free trade, Ukraine has taken the lead in arguing that joining the EU has become a strategic imperative.
Ruslan Stefanchyk, the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, told MEPs in Strasbourg earlier this month that awarding candidate status would empower the Ukrainian people, while “any other signal would only help Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime”.
The European Parliament passed a strongly worded resolution on Thursday, urging Georgia to adhere to the highest norms of democracy and the rule of law. It claimed that press freedom had been steadily eroding, and it denounced intimidation and harassment of journalists.
More than 50 journalists were injured in far-right violence last summer, but the government failed to charge any of the perpetrators. Instead, it has begun criminal investigations targeting the owners of critical independent media outlets.
Nika Gvaramia, the head of Georgia’s prominent opposition Mtavari TV channel, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison last month in what Amnesty International called a “blatant act of politically motivated persecution.”
The European Parliament’s resolution demands for EU sanctions against the businessman, citing his personal and professional ties to the Kremlin. He denies any ties to Russia’s top leadership.
According to opinion polls, Georgians, like Ukrainians and Moldovans, are massively in favour of EU entry.
The question is whether the EU is willing to risk disappointing Georgia’s majority. President Salome Zurabishvili said last week in Brussels that European leaders had now recognized Russia’s “real face,” and that the only response was the European Union.
Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons
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