Georgian President Calls for Western Support for Protesters' 'National Movement'

Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia, on Monday urged Western countries to support the 'national movement' of the people in this country advocating for EU membership. This request from Ms. Zourabichvili came just before clashes began between protesters and police. Over the past five days, Georgia has witnessed widespread protests following the ruling party 'Georgian Dream's' announcement to suspend negotiations for the country's EU accession. Critics of the 'Georgian Dream' party believe that the party's new approach reflects a shift from pro-Western policies towards a Russian orbit. The ruling party has denied these accusations. Ms. Zourabichvili, who personally participated in clashes with riot police, told Reuters that European countries should convey this 'very clear message' that they do not accept the results of last month's elections and support new elections. Official statistics indicate that in last month's elections, the ruling 'Georgian Dream' party secured 54% of the votes. The President of Georgia and opposition parties in the country believe that the elections were rigged, but the ruling party and the electoral commission reject the allegations. Ms. Zourabichvili told Reuters that Russia, following its invasion of Ukraine, is now conducting a 'hybrid war' against Georgia and other countries such as Moldova and Romania. According to her, decisive Western support for the people of Georgia is 'the only way out of the current crisis.' On Monday, as the sun set in Georgia, thousands of protesters clashed with riot police for the fifth consecutive night in front of the country's parliament. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, claimed on Monday that Moscow is not interfering in the current events in Georgia. He compared the ongoing protests in Georgia to the 2014 'Maidan' protests in Ukraine, which led to the ousting of a pro-Russian president in that country. A day before Peskov's statements, Dmitry Medvedev, the former President of Russia, warned that Georgia is 'rapidly heading down the path of Ukraine towards a dark valley' and that this process will end very badly. However, the President of Georgia in her Monday interview with Reuters stated that the ongoing protests in her country differ from the 'color revolutions' in Ukraine and Georgia. During the past five days of protests, dozens of protesters have been arrested and many others injured. The United States has condemned the excessive use of force by Georgian police against protesters. The Prime Minister of Georgia responded to the anti-government protests: 'I will not allow a revolution.' Opposition parties in Georgia have called for street demonstrations. Controversial elections in Georgia: protesters took to the streets; the United States called for investigations.