Chair of Zelensky’s faction Arakhamia calls on West to impose sanctions on Georgia’s ruling party founder Ivanishvili

Davit Arakhamia, the chairman of Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People’s party who is of Georgian origin, has called on the West to impose sanctions on the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Bidzina Ivanishvili, dubbing the latter as an “oligarch who is aiding Russia circumvent international sanctions.” 

Arakhamia’s comments on Telegram come on the heels of recent audio recording allegedly between Ivanishvili and Vladimir Yevtushenko, a Russian oligarch. 

The recording was posted on YouTube earlier today by an unidentified user under the name Cyber Krama, entitled “secret emissary from Moscow arrives in Tbilisi.” 

The author claims that the Russian oligarch made two calls to Ivanishvili in March and sent his man to Tbilisi “for business,” claiming that Ivanishvili sent the man to Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. 

It has not been determined so far whether the recording is authentical. 

Following the audio recording, Arakhamia, who has been slammed several times by the GD representatives for “aiding the destructive actions of the United National Movement opposition party,” said that “neither occupiers nor those who help them will avoid sanctions and escape responsibility.” 

“The main oligarch of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili, is very closely connected with the political elite of the Russian Federation. The recently published recording also clearly shows this connection,” Arakhamia said. 

He stated that the whole policy of the Georgian government has been “to follow the instructions of the Kremlin, and this is the reason for all this rhetoric, non-recognition of Russia as an aggressor, attempts to help the Russian Federation to circumvent sanctions, etc.” 

“Ivanishvili has become a Georgian Yanukovych. He and his people are pursuing a policy towards Ukraine that the Georgian people do not support. They want a fight between Georgians and Ukrainians for decades. To prevent this, I urge the EU and the United States to consider imposing sanctions on Ivanishvili and his assets in the West. No one can escape responsibility,” Arakhamia said. 

The GD head Irakli Kobakhidze stated earlier this week that Arakhamia ensured a connection between “destructive Georgian opposition and the Ukrainian authorities which have caused controversies between the two countries.”