The war on truth: Russian disinformation and Georgia’s path to EU
- Res Publica
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
The Georgian Dream (GD) party’s decision to suspend EU accession negotiations until 2028 has fueled massive protests across Georgia. These demonstrations – ongoing since allegations of electoral fraud marred the October 2024 parliamentary elections – have been met with repeated and violent police crackdowns. Authorities have used excessive force on protestors, politicians, and media representatives.
Confronted with growing resistance to GD’s shift away from EU integration, pro-Kremlin outlets in Georgia have pushed disinformation campaigns to discredit pro-European protesters, downplay police violence, and portray Georgia’s Western allies as instigators.
These sources also encourage closer ties with Russia. Pro-Kremlin disinformation, primarily in Georgian, often mirrors messaging from Georgian Dream. Meanwhile, Russian state outlets like Sputnik echo these narratives, with subtle variations.
Sacrificing the truth
Pro-Kremlin outlets inside Georgia targeted opposition parties and protesting citizens with derogatory labels, branding them as ‘liberal-fascists,’ traitors, and puppets of the West. Their goal was to discredit any actor advocating for European integration. Some claimed that Georgia was experiencing an attempted violent overthrow of its constitutional order.
Commentators portrayed Georgia’s President, Salome Zourabichvili, as part of the opposition and accused her of being a Western agent working for foreign intelligence services. These claims suggested that the West openly backs the opposition, labeled the opposition as a ‘fifth column,’ a common Kremlin tactics. Meanwhile, the police and Ministry of Internal Affairs were credited with preventing what was framed as an attempted coup.
Some accusations veered into the absurd. One commentator alleged that President Zourabichvili had called for sacrificing children to strengthen the protests, while another article claimed the McCain Institute had called for a ‘sacral sacrifice’—a complete fabrication. These claims also accused Western organisations, foundations, NGOs, and diplomatic actors of orchestrating the protests.
Calling protesters ‘cannon fodder’
Russian state outlets like Sputnik accused the opposition of staying in the background during clashes and using young protesters as cannon fodder. In reality, protest participants have deliberately distanced themselves from opposition political figures and discouraged speeches by opposition leaders at the protests due to their limited public support.
Sputnik downplayed police violence and praised law enforcement professionalism, despite widespread video evidence of human rights violations. Protesters were labelled extremists and radicals who had to be ‘forced into peace’, a phrase repeated across pro-government channels to legitimise crackdowns. Sputnik Georgia asserted that protesters were following a ‘Maidan scenario’.
Old friends, new enemies?
Inside Georgia, pro-Kremlin outlets framed the protests as Western-backed attempts at a ‘colour revolution’. Narratives accused the US and EU of inciting unrest and civil war.
They targeted organisations such as US Agency for International Development (USAID) and National Endowment for Democracy (NED), accusing them of financing revolutions and undermining Georgia’s sovereignty. This campaign intensified after US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend all US foreign aid for 90 days. Commentators accused such organisations of orchestrating revolutions in various countries.
Outlets alleged USAID funneled funds to engage in subversive activities and repressed conservative forces like the Alt-Info group, portraying it as an enemy of Georgian tradition and identity.
These narratives aligned with Georgian Dream messaging, framing the protests as an attempted coup. Figures from GD and allied outlets accused the West of blackmail and interference, reinforcing the idea of a Maidan-style coup attempt in Georgia.
Blame others for you want yourself
Sputnik Georgia alleged that pro-European protests were professionally organised by Western intelligence agencies. Sputnik South Ossetia claimed the US was using protesters to repeat a ‘Euromaidan scenario’, while Sputnik Georgia accused the EU of interfering in Georgia’s internal affairs.
Some outlets went further, linking unrest in Georgia with the war in Ukraine. Sputnik South Ossetia claimed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had a vested interest in regime change in Georgia to recruit Georgian fighters.
The besieged fortress mentality
Sputnik Georgia fantasised about a Western plan to open a ‘second front’ against Russia from the Caucasus, likening it to a ‘Kursk-2’ scenario. According to this narrative, the West’s strategy involved a coup, followed by provocations and foreign militants, escalating conflict in the North Caucasus.
Moscow: come back to us, reject ‘sodomite Europe’
Pro-Kremlin outlets backed GD’s decision to suspend EU talks, calling it a step against Western pressure. Some narratives portrayed the decision as liberation from ‘sodomite Europe’ and a move toward true sovereignty.
Russian state outlets praised the government’s actions. Sputnik Georgia claimed Georgia was freeing itself from another Western-backed ‘colour revolution’
Quo Vadis Georgia?
Pro-Russian outlets urged restoration of diplomatic ties with Russia as necessary for Georgia’s future. Articles promoted alliances like the 3+3 platform, BRICS, and the Eurasian Economic Union.
Some called on Georgian officials to initiate dialogue with Moscow, portraying Russia as the guarantor of Georgia’s territorial integrity, despite the ongoing occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Let bygones be bygones
Sputnik Georgia connected the breakaway regions to the protests.
The outlets claimed that Washington and Brussels were exerting pressure on these regions, while Sputnik Abkhazia noted that pre-election statements acknowledging reconciliation shaped Georgia’s future approach to Sokhumi and Tskhinvali.
Sputnik South Ossetia called for official apologies and legal commitments from Georgia, positioning Russia as a neutral arbiter while continuing to occupy these regions.
Enemies everywhere
Sputnik Georgia claimed Armenian political figures and NGOs had arrived to participate in the protests. Another article alleged the presence of 2,000 ‘professional Maidanists’ inciting youth-led demonstrations. Sputnik claimed included reports of Russian citizens being pressured to join protests or evicted for refusing to support them.
In the face of relentless disinformation, Georgia stands at a crossroads between sovereignty and subjugation, truth and manipulation. Pro-Kremlin narratives aim to fracture public trust, vilify democratic aspirations, and rewrite reality to serve foreign interests. This orchestrated paranoia may be powerful and persistent, crafted to distort reality and sow distrust—but don’t be deceived.
Article and pictures first time published on the EUvsDisinfo web page. Prepared for publication by volunteers from the Res Publica - The Center for Civil Resistance.
