Ukrainian negotiator accuses Tbilisi of helping Russia circumvent sanctions

TBILISI. April 22 (Interfax) – David Arakhamia, head of the Ukrainian delegation to negotiations with Russia, says that the Georgian government is continuing to help Russia circumvent international sanctions.

"The whole of Europe says it will not open bank accounts for Russian citizens, while Georgian banks are doing this with pleasure. Russian businessmen are circumventing the sanctions with the assistance of Georgian companies. All of that is being done with the knowledge of the Georgian government," Arakhamia said in an interview with the Georgian opposition TV channel Mtavari Arkhi.

He said he intentionally did not meet with a Georgian parliamentary delegation led by Speaker Shalva Papuashvili last week and met with a delegation of the United National Movement opposition party, founded by former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, in Kyiv a few days ago.

"We made ourselves clear to the Georgian authorities before the war – Saakashvili is a citizen of Ukraine, who holds a high position here. There is a mechanism provided by international agreements which prescribes how to transfer Saakashvili to us, but the Georgian administration looks at the Kremlin for guidance in these affairs," Arakhamia said.

It will be possible to normalize relations between Ukraine and Georgia only if the Georgian government joins the international sanctions against Russia and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky makes an address at the Georgian parliament, as he did in many other countries, Arakhamia said, adding that the Ukrainian ambassador may return to Tbilisi in that case.

As reported earlier, Zelensky recalled the Ukrainian ambassador from Georgia in the wake of the Georgian government’s refusal to back anti-Russian sanctions.