Georgia Mulls Holding Vote on Fighting to Regain Land

Georgia is considering the possibility of a referendum on whether to open up a “second front” against Russia.

The weakness of the Russian army during the Ukrainian counter-offensive of the last seven days has been seen by the world, including in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Chechnya. Not surprisingly, the countries from which Russia has annexed territories may consider returning them through military means.

The chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, has said that high-ranking Ukrainian officials “cannot hide their desire” to involve Georgia in a military conflict with Russia. He was speaking at a news conference in Tbilisi on Sep. 13. At the same time, the Georgian authorities are not supportive of this idea. However, the country’s leadership is ready to hold a referendum to find out whether the people agree with it or want to go to war with Moscow, Kobakhidze said.

The Georgian authorities can organize a nationwide referendum and ask whether the Georgians want a war with Russia, Irakli Kobakhidze said. At the same time, the country’s leadership does not support the idea of declaring war on Moscow.

“Let the people say whether they want to open a second front in Georgia against Russia,” Kobakhidze underlined, promising that the authorities “will act as the people say.”

Earlier, Fedir Venislavsky, a people’s deputy of the ruling Servant of the People faction in the Ukrainian Parliament, advised Tbilisi “to take concrete steps to liberate Abkhazia and South Ossetia.” According to him, now is the right time since Russia is wholly focused on Ukraine.

Kobakhidze expressed the hope that the citizens of Georgia “will clarify whether they agree with the statements of Ukrainian politicians about the need to involve Georgia in the war or with the position held by the authorities of their country [not to open a second front].”

According to the head of Georgian Dream, several high-ranking politicians in Ukraine have directly stated that opening a second front is desirable.

The 2008 Russo-Georgian War broke out in August 2008, when Russia attacked Georgia and led to Georgia losing a sizable part of its territory.

The Georgian opposition criticizes the authorities for their pro-Russian position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In particular, the government’s decision not to take part in financial and economic sanctions against Russia.