Political analyst Khukhashvili: west sees Georgian Government as fully controlled from Kremlin

Political analyst Gia Khukhashvili on Thursday criticised the Georgian Government’s foreign policy approach, saying Western partners no longer view it as an independent player in international relations.

Commenting on President Mikheil Kavelashvili’s open letter to US President Donald Trump, Khukhashvili called the move “unimaginable nonsense” and noted that state leaders typically do not engage in communication through public letters.

“Our authorities have reduced contacts with the West to a minimum and failed to build relations with alternative powers either. Unlike Armenia or Azerbaijan, Georgia is absent from any serious international dialogue”, Khukhashvili said.

He added that the country was now perceived internationally as an “object rather than a subject,” with decisions about its future being made externally.

“In the West, it is believed that Georgia’s Government is fully controlled from the Kremlin, and a corresponding attitude has formed. The same perception exists in China and Iran, where they consider Georgia an issue to be discussed with Russia,” Khukhashvili noted, adding that the Government’s actions are primarily directed at the domestic audience rather than addressing real challenges.