Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
According to the former president, Donald Trump may hold the power to force Putin to accept geopolitical realities.
As the war in Ukraine grinds on, questions remain over how and when it might end. A former head of state from the region now argues that a shift in Washington could prove decisive.
In an interview with Euronews, Georgia’s former president Salomé Zourabichvili said US leadership may be central to pushing Moscow toward negotiations.
Zourabichvili told Euronews’ “Europe Today” programme that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has to be brought to peace by constraint”.
“The uncertainty that Putin is experiencing with Trump’s actions is the best ally for forcing him down to a peace agreement,” she said on Thursday.
She described the present moment as the “best time we have to have Russia recognise that somebody is both as unpredictable and as strong” as Moscow.
Georgia shares a border with Russia in the South East. The two countries were in a 16-day war in 2008, when Russia invaded the country.
Georgia’s turmoil
Her remarks come as Georgia faces domestic political uncertainty. The October 2024 parliamentary elections, disputed by the opposition, sparked widespread anti-government demonstrations.
After the ruling Georgian Dream party secured a parliamentary majority, lawmakers elected Mikheil Kavelashvili as president in December 2024. Zourabichvili has declined to recognise his appointment.
She told Euronews that “everything that is happening in Georgia today is distancing” the country from “the European path and the European reforms”.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 on the condition that it implement reforms. That process, she said, is now “in very thick ice”.
Pressure and peace
Zourabichvili, who served as Georgia’s president from 2018 until her contested exit in December 2024, argued that the Russian leader does not seek compromise voluntarily.
According to her, durable peace will depend on ensuring that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld.
She warned that the manner in which the conflict concludes will be critical, saying Russia has historically acted as an aggressor in its neighbourhood and must accept that it “cannot occupy the territory of neighbours”.
Sources: Euronews
