Salome Zurabishvili, Georgia’s fifth president (2018–2024) and now an opposition leader who disputes the legitimacy of her successor, has warned that the European Union must prepare for hybrid warfare. In an interview with the Polish outlet onet.pl, she described Russia’s methods in Georgia as “textbook steps” that could threaten other countries in the region.
“The EU must be ready to fight a hybrid war. What happened in Georgia should be the last case of this kind,” Zurabishvili said during the Warsaw Security Forum.
“A Russian model of governance”
Zurabishvili characterized Georgia’s current political system as a dictatorship modeled on Russia, with laws and practices copied directly from Moscow. She argued that the country’s de facto leader, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, long connected to Russia, has overseen the introduction of Russian-style governance.
She also highlighted the arrival of more than 100,000 Russian migrants since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, some of whom, she suggested, may be working in Russia’s interests.
Support from outside
Zurabishvili stressed the importance of international backing for Georgia’s civil society, including political prisoners and imprisoned journalists. “The main thing is to show that the struggle of Georgian civil society is recognized and will not be forgotten,” she said.
She was sharply critical of the EU’s response to Georgia’s disputed elections, arguing that Brussels should have taken a stronger stance against Russian interference. For nearly a year, protesters have been challenging what the opposition calls “rigged” elections.
Hybrid wars as the new reality
Zurabishvili warned that Russia has already lost strategically in Ukraine, but will continue to destabilize its neighbors through non-conventional means. “The new wars are hybrid wars,” she said. “What happened in Georgia, and what Russia tried in Moldova or Romania, are all examples of this. The EU must be prepared. Georgia should be the last case where the West allowed Russia to interfere so freely in democratic processes.”
