Zelenskyy thanks USA for sanctions against Ivanishvili: He doing everything to hand over Georgia to Putin's control
Bidzina Ivanishvili is taking steps to hand over Georgia to Russia's control, which is dangerous for the entire region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
"I am grateful to the United States for a strong step in support of the Georgian people and our entire region – sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili. Ivanishvili is the de facto ruler in Tbilisi today and is doing everything to hand over Georgia to Putin's control. The loss of any country in our region, the destruction of democracy for one people and the spread of criminal Russian influence create a danger for the entire region, for all nations," Zelenskyy said on Telegram on Friday evening.
He called on the leadership of other partner countries to impose the same sanctions against Ivanishvili and his entourage, and recalled that Ukraine had also done so.
"We call on all European partners, all partners in the world who value normal life and freedom of nations, to apply exactly these sanctions against Ivanishvili so that he realizes what the price is for destroying the independence of his country and humiliating the Georgian people. We believe that no mafiosi will be able to steal the dream of the Georgian people about a free life in a family of free nations, in the European community," Zelenskyy said.
As reported, on December 5, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy signed a decree imposing sanctions against Ivanishvili and 19 other people for ten years, stating that the sanctions were imposed against "part of the government now in Georgia, which is surrendering Georgia to Putin." Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili thanked Zelenskyy for the sanctions imposed against Ivanishvili and a number of Georgian politicians.