Kathrine Frich
Not everyone welcomes this warmer tone toward Moscow.
When old neighbours fall out, rebuilding trust is rarely simple.
Yet in politics, even the deepest historical wounds can sometimes be set aside when leaders decide it is time to talk again.
Now, one government is quietly opening a fresh phone line to a longtime rival.
Opening new channels
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze wants to build closer ties with Russia across several different areas, according to Interfax and United24 Media. It marks a notable diplomatic outreach between the two neighbouring countries.
“Our goal, naturally, is to strengthen our channels of communication. We are working in various directions, including trade and economic ties, as well as humanitarian issues,” Kobakhidze said, as reported by Interfax.
To help run those talks, the government named Giorgi Zurabashvili as a special envoy on October 21. According to Interfax, the prime minister noted that Zurabashvili is already doing “effective” work on the file, though he kept the envoy’s exact daily tasks under wraps.
Warnings from allies
Not everyone welcomes this warmer tone toward Moscow.
As United24 Media reported, the ruling Georgian Dream party recently triggered fierce global criticism when lawmakers overturned a presidential veto to pass a “foreign agent law” modeled on strict 2012 Kremlin rules.
Kobakhidze pushed back against the critics. He argued that his administration had “sustained peace within our nation over the past two years, despite facing existential threats” while protecting national independence.
Still, leaders in Washington and Brussels remain deeply alarmed. According to United24 Media, European Union and US officials warned that the ruling party is putting Georgia’s European path at risk and brushing aside human rights, especially since Russian troops still hold 20% of Georgian land after the 2008 invasion.
Rent prices jump
Meanwhile, military anxiety inside Russia is already spilling across the border. Back in late summer 2026, whispers of a fresh Russian military draft sent young Russians scrambling for cheap, short-term flats in Georgia, Armenia, and Serbia, United24 Media reported.
Letting agents in Tbilisi, Yerevan, Belgrade, and Novi Sad suddenly faced a flood of messages from flat hunters. Empty apartments vanished fast.
Monthly rents in popular neighbourhoods quickly jumped by $50 to $100, even as property agents in Kazakhstan saw no similar rush of Russian newcomers.
