Located several hundred miles away from Ukraine and directly bordering Russia, Georgia is on the front line of post-Soviet Russian aggression. However, this small Black Sea nation is often ignored in western media reports on the war. After living in Georgia for 6 weeks and speaking with several Georgians about the war, a complex relationship with the conflict has emerged.
A large Ukrainian flag in Europe Square, Batumi, Georgia.
It is impossible to walk down any street in Batumi, my city of residence, without seeing a Ukrainian flag or other symbol expressing solidarity with Ukraine. In light of the Russian-Georgian War in 2008, it would appear that Georgia’s widespread anti-Russian sentiment has translated to wholehearted support for Ukraine. However, one must take into account that Georgia relies on Russian tourism and has little ability to repel an invasion. Therefore, I decided to speak to three Georgians about their perspective on the war and how the conflict has affected them.
I first spoke with my host father Vazha. He is around age 50 and watches Russian news channels. When asked what he thought about the war and how it has affected Georgia, Vazha started by stating that he believes it is very bad and opposes the war. He then elaborated that Georgian trade on the Black Sea has suffered heavy losses due to the conflict. Agricultural products like the watermelon we were enjoying during the interview are stuck sitting in ports. This aligned with an alert I received from the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi in April about drifting mines in the Black Sea. He also said that the war is very bad for tourism. I am not surprised considering the horrible exchange rates I have seen for the ruble. While 1 U.S. dollar translates to nearly 3 Georgian lari, 1 Russian ruble is about 5 Georgian tetri (the Georgian version of the cent). Finally, Vazha reminded me that there are good and bad Russians. While he opposes the war and his country suffers from it, he does not dehumanize the people of a country that less than 15 years ago invaded his own homeland.
I also spoke to two younger Georgians, Aleksandre and Mary, both aged 20. Aleksandre is my conversation partner at the language school I am attending here. When asked about his perspective on the war, he expressed opposition to the Russian invasion, but also said that Georgia fought their war with Russia in 2008. He was also very eager to switch to another topic. Aleksandre’s perspective shows that some young Georgians want to stay out of the conflict directly, even if they support Ukraine.
Mary was more receptive to a detailed discussion of the war. She also immediately made it clear that she opposes Russia’s war. She then explained that Georgia is at risk of a similar invasion at any moment and that Russian troops already have bases in the Georgian territories they captured in 2008. She believes that Russia and Georgia will one day fight again unless Russians successfully revolt against the current regime. Finally, she noted that Georgia has not been able to sanction Russia because of the significant risk of invasion. Mary’s answer illuminated the high risks concrete support for Ukraine and opposition to Russia poses to Georgia’s security. It appears that young Georgians like Mary want to do more for Ukraine but feel that they are unable to.
I know it is not uncommon among older demographics in Georgia believe the Russian narrative on the war. These people often support Russia in the war and sometimes espouse conspiracy theories, such as American biolabs in Ukraine creating the coronavirus. Unfortunately I have not met any of these people myself so I could not interview them.
While Georgians almost universally oppose the war and are suffering from it, they also must balance the constant risk of invasion, their dependence on Russian tourism, and access to the Black Sea with support for Ukraine.