We Can't Forget About Georgia (with Teona Akubardia)

The people of Georgia are all too familiar with Russian occupation. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia in a brutal provocation that left tens of thousands displaced and persecuted. By the end of the five-day conflict, Russia gained control of two breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine is a stark reminder to Georgians of what could potentially happen to them (yet again) if Putin is successful. To learn more about Georgia's perspective on the war, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Teona Akubardia, member of the Georgian parliament and deputy chair of its defense and security committee. For Akubardia, Georgia's sovereignty is contingent upon Ukraine's victory, and Prigozhin's recent mutiny has given the Georgian people hope that Putin's regime is nearing its end. Akubardia also offers her take on Georgia's evolving relationship with NATO since 2008, a "Black Sea consciousness" that has emerged in the West since the Russia-Ukraine war, and predictions for the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election.Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front's biweekly newsletter here. Follow us on Twitter here.