EU applicant's top MP compares bloc to USSR
The comments follow the European Commission's warning this week that Georgia's EU integration could be suspended unless the government returns to what Brussels calls a democratic path by the end of summer. The EU also threatened to revoke visa-free travel for Georgian citizens if the authorities fail to meet key conditions, including repealing the 'foreign agents' law and strengthening LGBTQ+ rights.
'We see direct interference in the Georgian elections,' Papuashvili said on Friday, as quoted by local media. 'It seems that some of the political elite [in Brussels] have taken some skills from the Soviet Union.'
Georgia – once part of the Soviet Union – applied for EU membership in March 2022, shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. It was granted candidate status in December 2023 but has since suspended accession talks, citing Brussels' increasingly coercive tone. The government, however, insists that it remains committed to eventual EU membership.
The ruling Georgian Dream party, which secured a strong majority in last October's vote, has repeatedly accused Western powers of meddling under the guise of promoting democracy.
Officials in Tbilisi have drawn parallels to the 2014 Maidan uprising in Ukraine and said similar tactics are being used to destabilize Georgia for refusing to adopt a confrontational stance against Russia in the Ukraine conflict. Moscow, which has denied any involvement in Georgia's internal affairs, has also drawn a parallel between the events in Georgia and the 2014 coup in Ukraine.
Following Georgian Dream's victory, a coalition of pro-Western parties alleged fraud and launched protests to force the government's resignation. The EU and US voiced support for the opposition, which the Georgian leadership denounced as foreign interference.
Papuashvili also criticized the EU's earlier decision to revoke visa privileges for diplomatic and service passport holders, calling it a breach of international law and the 2010 visa agreement. Georgia has enjoyed visa-free travel to the bloc since 2017.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Russia Today
Most Germans unhappy with Merz's leadership
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suffered a major blow in terms of public support over the past month, with 56% of people disapproving of his work, a survey conducted by INSA institute shows. Less than a third of respondents said they are still satisfied with his leadership. In early June, the level of support for Merz stood at 36%, with 45% of Germans critical of his performance, according to the German tabloid Bild, which commissioned the poll. The governing coalition, which includes Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democrats, has also taken a beating, according to the poll. Almost 60% of Germans are not satisfied with the coalition's work, up from just 44% in early June, the data suggests. The two parties would no longer be able to form a majority government if elections were held this weekend, with the CDU getting 27% of the vote and the Social Democrats gaining 15%, according to INSA. Germany's most popular opposition party – the right-wing Alterative for Germany (AfD) – is polling just three percentage points behind the CDU, the poll suggested. Since taking office in May, Merz has adopted a hardline foreign policy stance towards Russia. Berlin – one of Kiev's largest backers – has pledged to provide €5 billion ($5.6 billion) to finance long-range weapons production in Ukraine. The chancellor also did not rule out providing long-range missiles capable of striking Moscow. Merz declared that diplomatic options in the Ukraine conflict were 'exhausted' earlier this month. The chancellor's statements prompted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to accuse him of choosing escalation instead of diplomacy. The federal government's spending priorities have sparked criticism at home. 'Nobody understands that anymore,' AfD co-chair Alice Weidel said this week, referring to Berlin's decision to funnel taxpayers' money into weapons for Kiev while leaving domestic needs being unmet.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
The EU hits Russia with limp sanctions pack
The European Union has unveiled its 18th package of sanctions against Russia, a move described by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas as 'one of the strongest packages ever imposed.' That sounds impressive. But while the new measures will undoubtedly cause inconvenience, their real power – especially in 2025 – is more symbolic than strategic. Had these same measures been rolled out in early 2022, the impact might have been severe. At that time, economic interdependence between Russia and the EU remained significant, and the Russian economy was still adjusting to the new reality. But now, three years on, Moscow has adapted. In many sectors, it has learned to operate independently. Increased pressure from Brussels no longer yields proportional damage. Let's begin with the energy sector. One headline measure involves changes to the price cap on Russian oil under EU Council Regulation 833/2014. The ceiling has been lowered from $60 per barrel to $47.60. Western European entities are now banned from trading or transporting Russian oil if the price exceeds that threshold. In 2022, this could have shaken the market. But in 2025, the reality is different: Russian oil is transported via independent channels, with little reliance on EU carriers or brokers. The result is more psychological than practical. Russia's independence in oil logistics has triggered a new round of attacks on its so-called 'shadow fleet.' The 18th package expands the list of banned vessels under EU jurisdiction to 447 tankers. These ships are restricted from accessing EU ports or services. Again, this may cause some logistical friction, but it's far from a game-changer. Russia can and does move oil without Western European help. The occasional tanker seizure in contested waters like the Baltic Sea is unlikely to escalate. After all, that region is patrolled by Russia's Baltic Fleet, which, while modest in size, is more than capable of deterring threats to energy security. Another measure targets refined petroleum products. The EU now bans imports of oil-based products made from Russian crude in third countries. This is clearly aimed at stopping countries like India or Turkey from processing Russian oil and selling the finished products to Western Europe. But the real loser here may not be Russia, but the refiners. These third countries earn significant margins from processing. Cutting off that trade deprives them of profit and incentivizes creative workarounds, such as swapping sources in their reserves or manipulating origin data. As always, enforcement will be tricky. Meanwhile, Brussels has moved to formalize its hostility toward the Nord Stream pipelines. The 18th package bans all transactions related to Nord Stream 1 and 2. Given that both pipelines were sabotaged in 2022 and remain inactive, this is more a symbolic gesture than a substantive move. The idea of future US-Russia cooperation on restoring the lines is also dead in the water, thanks to these new restrictions. The financial sector hasn't been left out either. More Russian banks have been removed from the SWIFT messaging system under Article 5h of Regulation 833/2014, bringing the total to 55. Transactions with these institutions inside EU jurisdiction are now prohibited. Again, this would have mattered in 2022. But by 2025, most affected banks are already under EU or US blocking sanctions. In practice, Western firms avoid them regardless. So this package is more about reinforcing old moves than breaking new ground. Interestingly, the EU has begun applying secondary financial sanctions, similar to Washington's model. Two small Chinese regional banks are now banned from doing business with the EU over ties to Russia's dual-use supply chains. The inclusion of India's Nayara Energy Limited – part-owned by Rosneft – is more notable. This sends a message to companies in Russia-friendly countries: continued involvement with Moscow's energy sector may come at a price. Whether that message lands remains to be seen. The US has wielded similar threats for years with mixed results. Many foreign firms still see Russia as a valuable market, and their calculations depend on risk versus reward. Export controls also feature heavily in the new package. Twenty-six new entities have been added to Annex IV of Regulation 833/2014, which bans them from supplying dual-use goods. Most are small intermediaries, easily replaced. The real damage from export bans was done in 2022 and 2023. There's little left to block that hasn't already been sanctioned. The 18th package includes vague language about tightening controls on re-exports via third countries, but how that will work in practice is unclear. Measure 18 addresses legal disputes, reaffirming the EU's refusal to recognize arbitration court decisions in sanctions-related cases involving Russia. But this is nothing new – it was already part of the 14th package. On the symbolic front, the EU continues to add companies and individuals to its asset freeze list under Regulation 269/2014. As expected, these include defense firms and manufacturers, as well as businesses from China and India accused of supplying Russia with industrial goods. Despite the bold rhetoric from Brussels, there is little in this package that fundamentally alters the landscape. The sanctions may chip away at certain areas, cause headaches for some businesses, and reinforce a hardline stance. But they will not achieve what the previous 17 packages have failed to do: break the backbone of the Russian economy. Russia is not what it was in early 2022. It has adjusted its logistics, diversified its markets, strengthened domestic production, and recalibrated its financial flows. The EU's 18th sanctions package is not insignificant, but to call it one of the 'toughest ever' is an overstatement rooted more in political theater than economic article was first published in Kommersant, and was translated and edited by the RT team.
Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Russia Today
Immigration is ‘killing' Europe
US President Donald Trump has ramped up his rhetoric on immigration, claiming it is 'killing' Europe and warning that European leaders must act immediately or risk losing control. The warning comes as the continent continues to grapple with a protracted migration crisis that has spanned more than a decade. Large numbers of migrants have been entering the EU since 2015, largely caused by upheavals in the Middle East and Africa, and later the Ukraine conflict. According to the EU Commission, there were 385,445 irregular border crossings in 2023, an 18% increase from 2022. 'You're allowing it to happen to your countries, and you've got to stop this horrible invasion that's happening to Europe,' Trump said during a five-day visit to Scotland focused on his business interests, including golf resorts. 'Immigration is killing Europe,' the president added, urging leaders to take immediate action. 'You better get your act together, or you're not going to have Europe anymore.' Trump also used the occasion to highlight his administration's hardline stance on immigration within the US, boasting about stepped-up enforcement along the southern border. 'As you know, last month we had nobody entering our country. We removed a lot of bad people who got in,' he said. Since returning to the Oval Office in January, Trump has reinstated strict immigration control, including mass deportations and expanded detention efforts. He has pledged to carry out the largest migrant removal operation in US history despite widespread criticism and protests across the country. The migration crisis in Europe has been met with varied responses across the continent. While some countries initially welcomed asylum seekers, many have since reintroduced border controls and tightened immigration laws amid concerns over security and rising crime. In April, US Vice President J.D. Vance echoed the president's concerns, describing its migration policy as one of the Europe's greatest threats. He warned that uncontrolled migration risks 'destroying the fundamental cultural bedrock of Europe.'
