Georgia is next on Putin’s hitlist if Russia defeats Ukraine, says ex-leader

The imprisoned former president of Georgia has warned it is “only a matter of time” before Vladimir Putin tries to claim his country.

Mikheil Saakashvili wrote to MP Adam Holloway to say that although the world’s attention has been fixed on Ukraine, the dictator’s “territorial ambitions stretch as far as the capital Tbilisi in the Caucasus and the current Georgian government is all but facilitating his vision for a new Russian empire”.

There is international concern about the health of Mr Saakashvili, who led Georgia from 2004 to 2013.

He has previously claimed he is being poisoned by Kremlin agents.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who granted him citizenship in 2019, has urged Tbilisi to free him, warning that he is in danger of being “killed by Russia at the hands of Georgian authorities”.

Mr Saakashvili told Mr Holloway: “I know my fellow countrymen and women will bravely defend their homeland and democracy but when the government embraces Putin with open arms Tbilisi will fall.

“The UK’s support for Georgia dates back to the 1920s. At this precarious time in Georgia’s political history the support of your country is as essential today as ever.”

The Tory MP for Gravesham, who served as a captain in the Grenadier Guards during the Gulf War, said: “We must listen to Mikheil Saakashvili’s warning in this letter.

“We cannot allow Russia to seize control of democratic countries through the power of corruption and disinformation.

“The recent courtroom photographs of him show a shockingly different man I met when he was president. It would be dangerous if the democratic countries of the world do not assist the Georgian people as they fall further into the sphere of Putin’s influence.”

David Kezerashvili, who was defence minister under Saakashvili and now lives in London, said: “With Putin’s troops now on the backfoot, his sympathisers in Tbilisi are desperate to insulate themselves from meaningful opposition ahead of next year’s elections.

“Keeping Mikheil Saakashvili locked up until voting has taken place is central to their survival plans. Most neutral observers recognise this imprisonment for what it is: a grotesque abuse of power designed to protect Russian interests.

“The international community needs to rally fast or otherwise risk allowing the Kremlin to further cement its foothold in the country.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “The UK remains resolute in its support for Georgia’s independence. Russia must remove its troops and end its de-facto annexation.”