Georgia to accept Western sanctions as price of regaining its lands: British expert

The situation in Georgia will be one of the topics of the planned two-day EU summit in Brussels.

"The European Council is discussing a number of foreign policy issues, including the situation in Moldova and Georgia. Both countries are facing a decisive moment in their European path," European Council President Charles Michel said in a letter to EU leaders on the eve of the summit.

Media outlets previously reported that following the summit, EU leaders plan to send a signal to the Georgian government that Brussels will stop European integration if Tbilisi does not change its political course.

As we remember a few months ago, Georgia was warmly welcomed by the EU following its accession to the union, but the situation has dramatically changed, and Georgia may even face sanctions.

British expert Neil Watson commented on the issue in his interview with Azernews. He said Georgia is breaking ties with the EU with the hope to re-establish its territorial integrity.

“In my view, if Georgia continues its current path, it will lose all hope of EU integration and re-enter the Russosphere. It already has Russian troops on its soil in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia also needs Georgia as its outpost in the South Caucasus, as Armenia has walked away from Russia and towards Europe, and Azerbaijan no longer has Russian ‘peacekeepers’ on its soil,” the pundit said.

Answering the question whether Georgia has to choose the option of either rapprochement with Russia or the method of Ukraine to fight back, Watson said that Georgia had better unify with Russia, its closest neighbour.

“It is logical that Georgia goes towards Russia. It may regain its territories after 17 years and certainly doesn’t want a recurrence of the fate of Ukraine. Furthermore, if Russia achieves some of its objectives in Ukraine, it would feel emboldened to take military action against Georgia if it goes towards the west.

I think Georgia will accept sanctions as the price of peace and possibly regaining its lands.”