Ruling party MP Zarkua: Podolyak accidently appeared in Ukrainian gov’t

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) MP Irakli Zarkua has slammed the Adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mikhailo Podolyak, for his recent statements than sanctions should be imposed on each Russian oligarch, “including the founder of the GD Bidzina Ivanishvili,” stating that Podolyak is an “insignificant figure” who accidently appeared in the Ukrainian authorities. 

Zarkua suggested on Friday that statements being made by Podolyak and other Ukrainian officials would not force Georgia open the second front for Russia. 

“Mr. Podolyak is an ordinary person who accidentally appeared in the Ukrainian government. Earlier he was an adviser to Russian policy-maker Yanukovych. The statement of such a person is not interesting. We support Ukraine, we say Russia is an aggressor and occupier, because we experienced the same back  in 2008. Podolyak and people of similar value will not be able to diminish Georgian-Ukrainian relations, no matter how hard they will try,” Zarkua said. 

He stated  that various accusations coming from Kyiv are based on “nonsense,” noting that the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who holds Ukrainian citizenship and chaired the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council,” has had a “number of significant figures like Podolyak by his side.” 

Zarkua said that the Georgian Dream authorities had warned former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about Saakashvili, “who later opposed him,” and also current President Zelenskyy. 

“It is up to Zelenskyy to make solutions… We support the Ukrainian people and the country’’s territorial integrity,” Zarkua said. 

Podolyak has stated several times that Ivanishvili, who holds Georgian and French citizenship and previously had business in Russia, has a “serious influence” on the Georgian  Dream authorities, describing Ivanishvili as a “Russian oligarch.”