DISINFO: The West is not giving up attempts to “open a second front” against Russia in the Caucasus
SUMMARY
Western countries continue their attempts to “open a second front” against Russia and destabilise the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
One of the major issues concerning Georgia is the widely recognised efforts by the West to open a second front against Russia. That is, reigniting tensions and destabilising the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, aiming to escalate the conflict between Georgia and these two independent states.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an allegedly aggressive West playing a destabilising role in the Caucasus, creating turmoil and dragging the region into chaos. The claim also advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Georgia, accusing the Western countries of dragging the country into the war with Russia. This claim was made in the context of Georgia's parliamentary elections which took place on Saturday 26 October 2024. See the Joint Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell and the European Commission on the Parliamentary elections.
Since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, pro-Kremlin and other Russian state-controlled outlets 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.
These claims are groundless. 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.
Pro-Kremlin outlets frequently promote the idea that the Caucasus is exclusively within Russia's zone of geopolitical dominance and attempt to discredit any other cooperation between the Western countries and Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. This is an attempt to deny these countries their right to decide their own political orientation.
Western countries support peace and security in the South Caucasus region. The EU has a strong interest in a politically stable and economically prosperous Southern Caucasus in full understanding with the states there.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the South Caucasus has been a region of several ethno-political conflicts — Abkhazia, Nagorno–Karabakh, and South Ossetia. To this day, Russia continues to occupy 20 per cent of Georgia’s territory and impose its will on the people there, including by claiming the transfer of strategically important lands in Abkhazia to Russia.
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 The West is trying to sow chaos in Transcaucasia, that West want to start a colour revolution in Georgia and use it against Russia, that The West tried to force Georgia to open a “second front” against Russia, that The West wants to turn Georgia into an anti-Russian springboard, attempts to influence elections to replace current government, that The West seeks to drag Georgia into conflict with Russia, that The US and EU plan to destabilise the situation in Georgia, that The West is aiming to open a second front against Russia, that West seeks to turn the South Caucasus into an arena of geopolitical confrontation, or that The West is trying to destabilise the South Caucasus out of envy and endless malice.