Georgia and Russia trade blame over unrest as crisis brews

[rooster59]

Georgia and Russia trade blame over unrest as crisis brews

By Margarita Antidze and Andrew Osborn

 

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili attends a meeting with her Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, Belarus, June 21, 2019. Nikolay Petrov/BELTA via REUTERS

 

TBILISI/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Georgia and Russia traded blame on Friday for an outbreak of unrest in Tbilisi sparked by the visit of a Russian lawmaker with the Kremlin announcing it would suspend passenger flights between the two countries to protect its citizens.

 

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili had earlier blamed Moscow for the unrest, suggesting a "fifth column" loyal to Moscow had stirred up trouble, an allegation Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev dismissed as a distortion of reality.

 

Violence flared in the Georgian capital late on Thursday, where police used tear gas and rubber bullets to stop crowds furious about the visit of a Russian delegation from storming parliament.

 

Hundreds of people, both protesters and police officers, were injured, some seriously, as demonstrators pushed against lines of riot police, threw bottles and stones, and grabbed shields, drawing a tough response.

 

Though ostensibly about how Georgia handles relations with Russia, with whom it fought and lost a brief war in 2008, opposition parties have sought to seize the moment to press much wider and unrelated demands and called on people to take to the streets again on Friday evening.

 

Thousands gathered outside parliament where opposition leaders gave the floor to young activists and students.

 

"We are here to show our anger and our readiness to change this country," one of the activists said.

 

Police were present, though not in large numbers, and the protest, unlike Thursday's demonstration, was peaceful.

 

The speaker of parliament, Irakli Kobakhidze, resigned earlier on Friday, satisfying one of the protesters' demands.

 

A coalition of opposition parties has demanded the interior minister's resignation as well, the release of detained protesters, and talks on holding an early parliamentary election.

 

Tamar Kordzaia, leader of the opposition Republican Party, said protests would continue to press those demands.

 

Tensions between Moscow and Tbilisi are running high and President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday suspending Russian passenger flights from Russia to Georgia from July 8 to protect people from what the Kremlin called criminal actions.

 

Putin also recommended Russian travel agencies suspend tours to Georgia and ordered the government to bring Russian tourists already there home. Over 1 million Russian tourists holiday in Georgia each year.

 

Georgian President Zurabishvili had earlier called Russia "an enemy and occupier" and suggested Moscow had helped trigger Thursday's protests.

 

"Russia is our enemy and occupier. The fifth column it manages may be more dangerous than open aggression," Zurabishvili posted on her Facebook page.

 

Medvedev said Zurabishvili either didn't know what she was talking about or was wilfully distorting the situation, while the Kremlin blamed radical Georgian politicians for what it called "an anti-Russian provocation".

 

Russian influence in Georgia remains a politically sensitive subject, with the opposition accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party - which backed Zurabishvili for the presidency late last year - of being too meek when it comes to confronting Moscow.

 

The small south Caucasus nation, a U.S. ally, fought and lost a short war against Moscow in 2008. The two countries have not had diplomatic ties since, and Russia went on to recognise the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, where Russian troops are now garrisoned.

 

GEORGIAN ANGER

 

Protesters remain angry about the visit of a Russian delegation led by Sergei Gavrilov, a member of Russia's lower house of parliament, which was taking part in an event designed to foster relations between Orthodox Christian lawmakers on Thursday.

 

Gavrilov addressed delegates in his native Russian from the Georgian parliamentary speaker's seat, angering some Georgian politicians and citizens who want Russia kept at arm's length.

 

Gavrilov told a Moscow news conference on Friday he believed the protests had been pre-planned.

 

"Our common view is that there's an obvious attempt in Georgia right now to stage a coup d'etat and that extremist forces are trying to seize power," he said.

 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the safety of Gavrilov and other members of the Russian delegation had been endangered.

 

"Everything that happened yesterday in Georgia is nothing other than an anti-Russian provocation," said Peskov.

 

Georgia, crisscrossed by energy pipelines, hopes one day to join the European Union and NATO, an ambition which has infuriated Moscow, the country's former Soviet overlord.

 

(Additional reporting by Tom Balmforth, Maria Kiselyova, Vladimir Soldatkin and Anastasia Anastasia Teterevleva in Moscow Writing by Andrew Osborn/Margarita Antidze, Editing by Gareth Jones, Andrew Cawthorne, William Maclean)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-22

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[grumpy 4680]

                                "an anti-Russian provocation".

      Now who would want to do that, They never shot down MH17, they didn't invade Crimea, they didn't send agents to Salisbury to commit Murder, they don't support terrorist nations.

     Peace loving Putin has many killings under his belt, but they never lie.

  Sadly its the ordinary Russians that have to suffer, Putins provocation's

[Baerboxer]

8 minutes ago, grumpy 4680 said:

                                "an anti-Russian provocation".

      Now who would want to do that, They never shot down MH17, they didn't invade Crimea, they didn't send agents to Salisbury to commit Murder, they don't support terrorist nations.

     Peace loving Putin has many killings under his belt, but they never lie.

  Sadly its the ordinary Russians that have to suffer, Putins provocation's

 

Vlad wants the old Russian and Soviet Empires back with Russia firmly in control of them and himself as Tsar and President. 

 

And he'll stop at nothing to achieve that.

[Mavideol]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Medvedev said Zurabishvili either didn't know what she was talking about or was wilfully distorting the situation, while the Kremlin blamed radical Georgian politicians for what it called "an anti-Russian provocation".

Medvedev being Vlad's puppet I wonder whom to believe.... Russia never did anything wrong even when they invaded the south ossetia back in august 2008 which by coincidence at that time Medvedev was Russia president.

[Mavideol]

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Vlad wants the old Russian and Soviet Empires back with Russia firmly in control of them and himself as Tsar and President. 

 

And he'll stop at nothing to achieve that.

correct, he just want to copy his bf Xi that has changed chinese constitution to allow him to be president/chairman for life, Vlad wants the USSR (Soviet Union) back and be the 1st czar named Vladimir

[BestB]

18 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Vlad wants the old Russian and Soviet Empires back with Russia firmly in control of them and himself as Tsar and President. 

 

And he'll stop at nothing to achieve that.

No he does not, myth created by CIA.

 

There has been no evidence of any kind Russia wanting to take anything that was not hers to begin with.

 

 

 

[bristolboy]

Just now, BestB said:

No he does not, myth created by CIA.

 

There has been no evidence of any kind Russia wanting to take anything that was not hers to begin with.

 

 

 

Like Finland? Or Poland?

[BestB]

4 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Like Finland? Or Poland?

Please give me dates when Putin wanted or tried or invaded Poland and Finland?

[bristolboy]

Just now, BestB said:

Please give me dates when Putin wanted or tried or invaded Poland and Finland?

I refer you to post #6 where you claim that Russia doesn"t want anything that wasn"t hers in the first place. Study history much?

 

[bristolboy]

Just now, bristolboy said:

I refer you to post #6 where you claim that Russia doesn"t want anything that wasn"t hers in the first place. Study history much?

 

Also Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. And the Ukraine.

[khunken]

'Violence flared in the Georgian capital late on Thursday, where police used tear gas and rubber bullets to stop crowds furious about the visit of a Russian delegation from storming parliament.' - Reuters

 

Was this a deliberate attempt by Reuters to imply that the Russian delegation was the one that was storming parliament? The reaction of the Georgian president blaming the Russians for the attempt to storm the Parliament (when it was anti-Russian protestors) is just as bad.

There seems to be some likewise posters here that can't even read or understand what actually happened, without the usual 'blame the Russians' for every spat in that region.

[BestB]

10 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

I refer you to post #6 where you claim that Russia doesn"t want anything that wasn"t hers in the first place. Study history much?

 

So once again give me the dates ,since you a history buff

[BestB]

4 minutes ago, khunken said:

'Violence flared in the Georgian capital late on Thursday, where police used tear gas and rubber bullets to stop crowds furious about the visit of a Russian delegation from storming parliament.' - Reuters

 

Was this a deliberate attempt by Reuters to imply that the Russian delegation was the one that was storming parliament? The reaction of the Georgian president blaming the Russians for the attempt to storm the Parliament (when it was anti-Russian protestors) is just as bad.

There seems to be some likewise posters here that can't even read or understand what actually happened, without the usual 'blame the Russians' for every spat in that region.

Blaming Russia for everything is a new fashion , despite the facts or what Is written .

 

then some struggle to distinguish between Russia and former USSR

[BestB]

10 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Also Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. And the Ukraine.

Ok, let’s see the dates when Russia invaded or tried or wanted too 

[bristolboy]

Just now, khunken said:

'Violence flared in the Georgian capital late on Thursday, where police used tear gas and rubber bullets to stop crowds furious about the visit of a Russian delegation from storming parliament.' - Reuters

 

Was this a deliberate attempt by Reuters to imply that the Russian delegation was the one that was storming parliament? The reaction of the Georgian president blaming the Russians for the attempt to storm the Parliament (when it was anti-Russian protestors) is just as bad.

There seems to be some likewise posters here that can't even read or understand what actually happened, without the usual 'blame the Russians' for every spat in that region.

Really? You think your take on the article is more likely than just clumsy writing? A delegation is going to storm parliament? It is to laugh.

[khunken]

1 minute ago, bristolboy said:

Really? You think your take on the article is more likely than just clumsy writing? A delegation is going to storm parliament? It is to laugh.

Yes, so why then all the Russia-blaming? As you did not initially post in that vein, it was not you I was referring to. But you seem to have joined the baying hounds.

[bristolboy]

Just now, BestB said:

So once again give me the dates ,since you a history buff

I can't believe you don't know anything about this. I'm on a mobile now but for starters look up the Partitions of Poland that took place in the 18th century.

[bristolboy]

Just now, khunken said:

Yes, so why then all the Russia-blaming? As you did not initially post in that vein, it was not you I was referring to. But you seem to have joined the baying hounds.

Why do you think that there is all this tension in the first place?

[khunken]

1 minute ago, bristolboy said:

Why do you think that there is all this tension in the first place?

Well I could start with the US instigated coup in the Ukraine, but that would be off topic.

The tension goes back to c2008 when Russia intervened in South Ossetia after Sakhasvili (a Trump-like nutter) sent in his army to put down a rising by the local ethnic Russian-speaking people against his regime. Similarly Abkazia. Both are now occupied by the Russian military. It has a parallel in Thailand in the south where the Thai military & their supporters refuse to allow the ethnic Malays there to have a say in their local rule.

[BestB]

1 minute ago, khunken said:

Well I could start with the US instigated coup in the Ukraine, but that would be off topic.

The tension goes back to c2008 when Russia intervened in South Ossetia after Sakhasvili (a Trump-like nutter) sent in his army to put down a rising by the local ethnic Russian-speaking people against his regime. Similarly Abkazia. Both are now occupied by the Russian military. It has a parallel in Thailand in the south where the Thai military & their supporters refuse to allow the ethnic Malays there to have a say in their local rule.

Do not forget the very same sakhasvili ran away from Georgia and was and possibly still is hiding out in Ukraine and advising current Kiev regime . He was part of anti Russian uprising instigating violence during the coup

[khunken]

3 minutes ago, BestB said:

Do not forget the very same sakhasvili ran away from Georgia and was and possibly still is hiding out in Ukraine and advising current Kiev regime . He was part of anti Russian uprising instigating violence during the coup

Yes, he was AFAIK a dual US-Georgian citizen when he was president of Georgia. After he was kicked out of Georgia he went to Ukraine where he is now a citizen there. The last I heard was that he was appointed mayor (or similar) of Osetta, a disputed city within the area controlled by the Russian-speaking Ukraine separatists.

There's a huge volume of articles & opinions about him - Google search. One, that I didn't follow said he was a contributor to Faux News.

 

[Morch]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

Blaming Russia for everything is a new fashion , despite the facts or what Is written .

 

then some struggle to distinguish between Russia and former USSR

 

Rebranding Changes Everything, Says Poster.

[Scott]

Inflammatory, troll, baiting posts and replies removed.  

 

[bristolboy]

3 hours ago, BestB said:

Blaming Russia for everything is a new fashion , despite the facts or what Is written .

 

then some struggle to distinguish between Russia and former USSR

Please, pull me another one.

The post-Soviet states, also collectively known as the former Soviet Union (FSU)^[1] or former Soviet Republics, and in Russian as the "near abroad" (discussed below) are the sovereign states that emerged and re-emerged from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its breakup in 1991, with Russia internationally recognised as the successor state to the Soviet Union after the Cold War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Soviet_states

I'm going to be looking for instances where Putin expresses great sorrow for the harsh rule of the Soviet Union and joy at its disintegration.

[bristolboy]

2 hours ago, khunken said:

Well I could start with the US instigated coup in the Ukraine, but that would be off topic.

The tension goes back to c2008 when Russia intervened in South Ossetia after Sakhasvili (a Trump-like nutter) sent in his army to put down a rising by the local ethnic Russian-speaking people against his regime. Similarly Abkazia. Both are now occupied by the Russian military. It has a parallel in Thailand in the south where the Thai military & their supporters refuse to allow the ethnic Malays there to have a say in their local rule.

You could certainly start with it. And the good thing about that is the it's universally recognized that your characterization is true and that Russia did not meddle in the internal affairs of The Ukraine.

[CapraIbex]

14 hours ago, BestB said:

then some struggle to distinguish between Russia and former USSR

Quite right! Sadly, lack of education, narrow-mindedness and blindness of seeing the slickness orchestrated by US is not obvious to everyone, oh well. 

[bristolboy]

On 6/22/2019 at 5:27 PM, BestB said:

then some struggle to distinguish between Russia and former USSR

One of those strugglers being none other than Vladimir Putin:

Ahead of Vote, Putin Says He'd Reverse Soviet Collapse If He Could

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he would reverse the collapse of the Soviet Union if he had a chance to alter modern Russian history, news agencies reported...

 

Fielding quick-fire questions from supporters in Russia's European exclave of Kaliningrad, Putin was asked what Russian historical event he would like to change.

"The collapse of the Soviet Union," Putin immediately shot back.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2018/03/03/ahead-of-vote-putin-says-hed-reverse-soviet-collapse-if-he-could-a60693

[BestB]

22 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

One of those strugglers being none other than Vladimir Putin:

Ahead of Vote, Putin Says He'd Reverse Soviet Collapse If He Could

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he would reverse the collapse of the Soviet Union if he had a chance to alter modern Russian history, news agencies reported...

 

Fielding quick-fire questions from supporters in Russia's European exclave of Kaliningrad, Putin was asked what Russian historical event he would like to change.

"The collapse of the Soviet Union," Putin immediately shot back.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2018/03/03/ahead-of-vote-putin-says-hed-reverse-soviet-collapse-if-he-could-a60693

And ?