DISINFO: The West is gathering strength to overthrow the Georgian government and start anti-Russian hysteria
SUMMARY
The US did not want Georgia to make peace with Abkhazia and Ossetia, and brought Saakashvili to power. Now too, when Georgia has begun to draw closer to Russia, the West is gathering strength to overthrow the Georgian government and start anti-Russian hysteria.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Georgia in the context of the 2024 parliamentary elections (see the Joint Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell and the European Commission here), accusing Western countries of plans to orchestrate a colour revolution or a coup, ultimately aimed at dragging the country into the war with Russia. The claim also portrays Georgia as a puppet state.
Neither the US nor the EU are planning a forcible overthrow of the government in Georgia. No evidence is provided to support this claim.
The US State Department Spokesperson categorically denied a number of times Russian allegations that the US is planning a “colour revolution” or “Maidan in Georgia,” calling them completely false and absurd, instead emphasising US support for Georgia’s development and its struggle against Russian aggression.
The claim fits well into the recurring disinformation narrative suggesting a Western policy of staging “colour revolutions” worldwide with the aim of destabilising Russia.
Pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as “colour revolutions” instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.
Since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, pro-Kremlin media actively deployed disinformation narratives that the US, the EU, or even Ukraine are aiming to change power in Georgia and drag the country into the war with Russia, to open a ‘second front’ against Moscow and to ease the situation for Kyiv on the Ukrainian front.
The claims are groundless. The Western countries are not interested in an escalation of the war. Neither the US nor the EU, nor Ukraine are pushing Georgia to open a second front against Moscow.
Read also EUvsDisinfo's articles on "Twists and turns: Georgian Dream rhetoric on the EU", “Georgia: Resilience in action” and “Georgia: The next colour revolution?”.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Georgia’s parliamentary elections to turn into a revolution or a coup d'état, that West want to start a colour revolution in Georgia and use it against Russia, that Washington and Brussels are betting on a new "Maidan" in Georgia, that The West tried to force Georgia to open a “second front” against Russia, that The US plans a colour revolution in Georgia after October elections, that The US is preparing a “Tbilisi Maidan” in Georgia, that The West wants to turn Georgia into an anti-Russian springboard, attempts to influence elections to replace current government, that US and EU wants to orchestrate Euromaidan-like scenario in Georgia at parliamentary elections, that The US plans to change power in Georgia through protests to be blamed on Russia, or that West plans to orchestrate Georgia maidan, install government to confront Russia.