EU still trading with Russia, bringing up to $300 billion revenue in country, amid war in Ukraine

The European Union has been still trading with Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine, gaining up to $300 billion revenue for the country’s budget, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Thursday while commenting on EU’s criticism over Georgia’s trade, economic and flight ties with Russia.

“The European Union has not approved the flights, economy and trade with Russia, while it has been still trading with Russia, and what the EU is trading [with Russia] in 4 days, we [Georgia] trade in 1 year”, Garibashvili stressed, adding Georgia, “a small country with so many challenges” and with 20 percent occupied by Russia, was implementing “pragmatic” policy based on the national interests, which would attain its “ultimate goal” – the unification of the country.

The Head of the Government also referred to the fact of buying goods, worth $2.5 trillion, by the EU from Russia just after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, “after people died and we [Georgia] lost our territories, […] no one did anything about it, there were not imposed any sanctions [against Russia], and we had to bear it”, he stressed.

The United States has not stopped trade with Russia, even at present, just acting for “their national interests and their companies’ needs”, Garibashvili said and pointed out that in 2019 when Russia had suspended flights with Georgia, the acting Ambassador of the US had called on Russia to lift their ban on flights.

The PM expressed hope “European and American friends” would understand that “Georgia does not stop trade and economy with Russia” proceeding from its national interests, stressing “any provocation, war, destabilisation here means the third world war” for Georgia. 

What is happening now in Ukraine, […] bloodshed, it already happened to us in 2008, […] We, Georgians, shed a lot of blood, survived three wars, a civil war, were in NATO missions in Afghanistan, Iraq. Our “heroic boys”, soldiers sacrificed for this [Euro-Atlantic] aspiration”, he noted.

The Head of the Government highlighted that Georgia’s main goal was peace, stability, prosperity, and reunification of the country. “I believe that with the help of God, we will pursue this path calmly and lead the country to peace”, he said.