Yes, Putin may be starting to win Georgia away from the West. Here’s why that matters.

washingtonpost.com ^ | January 25 | Michael Hikari Cecire

[Trumpinator]

Polling data taken regularly over the last several years shows a clear and steady increase in Georgian support for the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). That roughly tracks with increasing political support for anti-West and pro-Russia political factions within Georgia.

[1rudeboy]

Putin’s a globalist? Who knew?

[dfwgator]

After visiting Atlanta last year, all I can say is, he can have it.

[PGR88]

So the statists and progressives of the EU and Washington attempted to wrest Georgia and the Ukraine out of the orbit of Russia - and failed.

The Washington Post does NOT approve.

[Cicero]

Well, Obama isn’t winning any friends for us anywhere among our allies.

[elhombrelibre]

Well, if he can snatch another country, that'd make you happy. By the way, did you see this?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-economy-ruble-workers-protest-1.3418176

[CMB_polarization]

We need a slap in the face and wake up. Thanks Putin.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Thought that happened in 2008 under Bush’s watch?

[1rudeboy]

The Georgians appear to want to go with the pros. Why settle for amateur statists and progressives?

[Trumpinator]

Yes, protests. So Russia is a democracy. Thanks.

[Trumpinator]

I was employed in an enterprise in the EU to help France privatize their industries. The regulations there are killer for an economy like Georgia with a lot of small farms. The EU membership would have ruined Georgian farmers and caused a lot of small farmers to sell off to big consolidated firms.

The EU is not socialist - again - they make countries sell off govt owned assets - but they are a bureaucratic and regulatory nightmare that can ruin a small business.

[1rudeboy]

I agree. The Russians are no better. My point.

[Trumpinator]

The Russians have less regulations it seems - they would allow Georgian wine to be sold with less EU regulations is my point.

[ManHunter]

And why on earth - after seeing US foreign policy in [in]action for the past seven years, would Georgia or any other country gravitate to the US as an ally?

[1rudeboy]

“Seems?”

[Zhang Fei]

Georgia and Russia still don't have normal diplomatic relations (i.e. embassies in each other's capital). Georgia's PM, elected in 2015, said:

Asked if he had a message for Vladimir Putin, Kvirikashvili said that, "Russia should honor Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty."

"This is the main entry condition to be met by the Russian side in order to start normal relations with Russia," he said.

"Honestly, we don't see enough political will today in (the) Russian leadership to resolve this crisis, but despite all that, we have (a) longstanding tradition of… relations with Russia, and I don't think that we need to scratch out everything," Kvirikashvili added.

"Culturally, Georgians, we are Europeans, we are a European country," Kvirikashvili also said during the interview.

On Friday the Georgian government announced that Kvirikashvili had met with NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg while at Davos. The two parties discussed issues relating to Georgia becoming a NATO member, according to the prime minister's press office.

[Trumpinator]

Tell the Washington Post not to be worried then. :)

[Zhang Fei]

Tell the Washington Post not to be worried then. :)

I doubt WaPo is worried. This isn't an editorial board opinion. The writer of the article is probably another Georgian lobbyist with his hand out for more US aid.

[goldstategop]

Putin is making steady progress on his goal of eventually expanding the Eurasian Union to include the entire post-Soviet space.

[dware]

Well, atlanta ain't nothing but a liberal cesspool, so...

/s