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Fatima Latifova

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Due to its geographical location, the South Caucasus has been the target of great empires for many years. Being the segment of the Great Silk Road, this region with the richness of its oil fields particularly on the east side along the Caspian Sea has been very lucrative for power states.

The Russian Empire was one of those invading the countries and permeating this region. Starting from the 18th century, Tsarist Russia began exploring and occupying the regions around the Caspian Sea. At the beginning of the 19th century, it captured the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, and took away the freedom of the nations.

Before the establishment of the Soviet Union, Tsarist Russia pursued a policy of Russification in the South Caucasus, taking away the language, culture, and religion of the nations here. Especially the people of Azerbaijan and Georgia suffered from its policy of occupation.

Even after the establishment of the Soviet Union, the same policy was continued under the name of communism; repressions were carried out and the lives of many intellectuals of the South Caucasus were ended.

Although Russia's relations with Azerbaijan softened following Azerbaijan's victory over the Armenian occupation in 2020, the relations between Georgia and Russia are yet to be normalised. Thus, when the Soviet Union was about to collapse, Georgia was one of the post-soviet states that made the most efforts to get rid of Russian occupation, which later cost Tbilisi its territory in the north of the country bordering with Russia.

Both Zviad Gamsakhurdia and Eduard Shevardnadze had a number of problems in Georgian-Russian diplomatic relations. During the term of President Mikheil Saakashvili, the tension between the two countries reached its peak. Although Saakashvili's policy towards the West tried to free the country from Russian influence, the result ended with the Russian occupation of Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia.

In 2012, with the coming to power of the Georgian Dream Party founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, Russia-Georgia relations softened and became relatively constructive. Since the mentioned time, serious developments have been observed in many spheres, particularly in the field of economy.

The law on "foreign agents", which came into force this month, caused dissatisfaction among the country's population, but it was enough to show Russia's influence in the country. It should be noted that this law serves the purpose of ensuring the transparency of foreign funding of the non-governmental sector and the media in Georgia.

The West was very worried about this situation because the law's entry into force would reduce the influence of foreign countries in Georgia.

Thus, thirty-one members of the European Parliament (EP) call on the Vice-President of the European Commission and head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, to suspend Georgia's status as a candidate for accession to the EU. Even US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the decision adopted by the Georgian parliament a "Russian law". He also said that the new law will create problems in the relations of the Georgian people with the European Union, and noted that the United States will not leave it unanswered.

Official Moscow supported the decision of the Georgian government in response to threats from the West and claimed that the United States was fueling the protests in the country.

But what is reality?

It is no secret that Europe has been using the countries under Russian occupation to suppress Moscow in the region for years. And Russia does not hesitate to commit genocide and create disaster in those countries in order to respond to the West. This is proven by the fact that the Georgian scenario is currently being applied in Ukraine, that the West is encouraging Ukraine to go to war with Russia by making empty promises, and that Russia has also dealt a devastating blow to Ukraine, even killing its nation - the Slavs.

Georgia, whose territory is still under Russian occupation, is subjected to the brutal treatment of the Kremlin whenever Tbilisi reduces the Kremlin's influence in the country and moves towards the West. This is the same as the opposite - thus, when the Georgian government improves relations with Moscow, it receives threats from the West.

So-called parliamentary elections were held yesterday in the Tskhinvali region (Southern Ossetia) under Russian occupation. Azerbaijan, whose 20 percent of territories was once under Armenian occupation for nearly 30 years, also condemned this event and called the election void.

It should be noted that a war broke out between Russia and Georgia over Southern Ossetia in 2008, and after the war, Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia declared their independence with the support of Russia. It was after that that diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia were severed.

The events that have taken place show that countries like Georgia, Ukraine, and even Armenia are used as battlegrounds for the West in its long-time hostility toward Russia. Undoubtedly, civilians and inhabitants of the South Caucasus suffer the most from the intense war between the two hegemon powers - the West and Russia.

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