Georgia’s ruling party official accuses EU of double standards over energy trade with Russia

Levan Machavariani, the First Deputy Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, on Friday claimed that the European Union has spent nearly half a trillion dollars on energy imports from Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine, effectively financing Russia’s war effort.

According to Machavariani, the amount paid by the EU to Russia for energy resources exceeds the total assistance the bloc has provided to Ukraine.

“The EU cannot escape these figures”, he said.

Machavariani also criticised Brussels for pressuring Georgia to impose sanctions on Russia, arguing that such a move would severely harm the Georgian economy and could trigger military escalation.

“We all remember the pressure that has been exerted, and continues to be exerted, on Georgia to impose sanctions on Russia. This would, on the one hand, undermine Georgia’s economy and, on the other, send a direct political message that would most likely lead to military escalation”, Machavariani said.

He argued that the EU’s continued energy trade with Russia, while simultaneously urging Georgia to impose sanctions, demonstrated what he described as Brussels’ double standards towards Georgia.