Givi Chanukvadze: "In Georgia, we have never seen so many people ready to openly say 'no' to Russia"
"Georgia has around 300,000 people coming out in the streets. It's unprecedented. We've never seen in Georgia that many people being ready to openly say 'no' to Russia and this is about that. The idea is that it's not only about Russian law and we all understand that this is just a component of a bigger strategy of a larger picture that we've been seeing especially after 2012.
I think we should see these particular developments in the big picture. The Russian law, so-called law about foreign agents, it's one aspect of a bigger problem that Georgia has been facing historically since its' independence. We know that, we've been fighting our northern neighbour for generations, so this is nothing new for any of us.
We know exactly who we are at war with. It is clear to us that Georgia is in its existential phase. However, the government propaganda is still working very well and many things should be done on that front in order to counter those narratives that are coming from government propaganda channels" – says the guest of the new episode of the "(un)Safe Country" podcast.
What is the attitude of the active part of Georgian citizens and what is the current situation of the country's authorities?
In the new episode of the (Un)Safe Country podcast, its permanent host Alina Frolova talks to Givi Chanukvadze, an international development expert and associate professor at Ilia State University in Tbilisi. The conversation covers the latest developments in Georgia, high civic activity, Georgian attitudes towards Russians, manipulations on the topic of the war with Russia, the influence of the Georgian Orthodox Church, and possible scenarios for the future of Georgia.
(un)Safe Country
(Un)Safe Country is a joint podcast of the Centre for Defence Strategies, Media Centre Ukraine and Ukrayinska Pravda. The host of the podcast, Alina Frolova, is a diplomat with a degree in geopolitics. She worked as a Deputy Minister of Defence. She coordinated cooperation with partners and NATO. She was involved in reforms in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
She was responsible for the security of the Black Sea and took an active part in the establishment of the Crimea Platform. She is currently one of the leaders of the Centre for Defence Strategies. In the podcast, she will invite interesting interlocutors, military and civilian, experts and volunteers, Ukrainian and foreign, with whom she will discuss security issues and how to bring victory in the war with Russia closer.
