EU Ambassador rejects Russian claims as ‘blatant lies’ on ‘funding’ Georgian protesters

The European Union’s Ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, on Friday dismissed claims from Russian intelligence that the EU was seeking to intensify anti-government protests in Georgia by allegedly paying demonstrators €120 per day.

Describing the accusations as “baseless” and “a blatant lie,” Herczynski stressed that such statements were part of Russia’s broader hybrid warfare strategy.

“I don’t even think I should comment on that,” the ambassador told reporters. “As for the broader question of Russian hybrid warfare, we all know that Russia is engaged in hybrid activities everywhere, including in Moldova and Georgia, and in many other places, including in our own countries. I don’t know what the goals of Russian propaganda are when it spreads such lies, but I can unequivocally state that this is an outrageous lie that has nothing to do with reality.”

Herczynski’s remarks come amid growing political tensions in Georgia, where the ruling Georgian Dream party has accused him of interfering in the country’s internal affairs. Representatives of the ruling party have claimed that the ambassador is part of the so-called “Deep State” and has actively participated in election campaigning in favor of the opposition. However, Herczynski refrained from directly addressing these allegations, instead reaffirming his role as a representative of all 27 EU member states in Georgia.

He also confirmed that discussions were ongoing within the EU regarding potential sanctions against individuals responsible for human rights violations in Georgia. “There is no unanimity at the moment, but the work continues and I hope there will be unanimity,” Herczynski said, indicating that the issue remained under active consideration in Brussels.