DISINFO: The West is ready to seize power by force in Georgia
SUMMARY
The US and its allies are currently preparing a violent seizure of power. If they do not agree with the election results, they will bring people out into the streets, seize power, and after the coup, power will pass into the hands of those who will meet the demands of Washington and its foreign policy line, which is to immediately unleash a war with Russia.
The well-being of Georgian society does not concern the Western world at all. The main thing is to throw an entire state into the furnace of war for their own purposes. This is how the West treats Georgia, its development prospects. The only thing that matters to them is that Georgia opens a second front against Russia.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Georgia in the context of the 2024 parliamentary elections, framing any protests following the election as a Western-sponsored colour revolution or a coup, ultimately aimed at dragging the country into the war with Russia. The claim also portrays Georgia as a puppet state.
Neither the US nor the EU are planning a forcible overthrow of the government in Georgia. No evidence is provided to support this claim.
The US State Department Spokesperson categorically denied a number of times Russian allegations that the US is planning a “colour revolution” or “Maidan in Georgia,” calling them completely false and absurd, instead emphasizing US support for Georgia’s development and its struggle against Russian aggression.
The 2024 Parliamentary elections in Georgia were marked by serious irregularities and alleged large-scale fraud schemes, which led to many, including the President of Georgia, the opposition and civil society organizations, rejecting the official results. Violations noted by local and international observers contain a pre-election climate of fear and intimidation of civil society, including the passage of the Foreign Agents Law, reports of vote-buying, violations of voter privacy, physical altercations, and controversial changes to election administration rules prior to the vote. See also the Joint Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell and the European Commission on the Parliamentary elections.
The claim fits well into the recurring disinformation narrative suggesting a Western policy of staging “colour revolutions” worldwide with the aim of destabilising Russia.
Pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as “colour revolutions” instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.
Since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, pro-Kremlin media actively deployed disinformation narratives that the US, the EU, or even Ukraine are aiming to change power in Georgia and drag the country into the war with Russia, to open a ‘second front’ against Moscow and to ease the situation for Kyiv on the Ukrainian front.
The claims are groundless. Western countries are not interested in an escalation of the war. Neither the US nor the EU, nor Ukraine are pushing Georgia to open a second front against Moscow.
Read also EUvsDisinfo's articles on "Twists and turns: Georgian Dream rhetoric on the EU", “Georgia: Resilience in action” and “Georgia: The next colour revolution?”.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Georgia’s parliamentary elections to turn into a revolution or a coup d'état, that West want to start a colour revolution in Georgia and use it against Russia, that Washington and Brussels are betting on a new "Maidan" in Georgia, that The West tried to force Georgia to open a “second front” against Russia, that The US plans a colour revolution in Georgia after October elections, that The US is preparing a “Tbilisi Maidan” in Georgia, that The West wants to turn Georgia into an anti-Russian springboard, attempts to influence elections to replace current government, that US and EU wants to orchestrate Euromaidan-like scenario in Georgia at parliamentary elections, that The US plans to change power in Georgia through protests to be blamed on Russia, or that West plans to orchestrate Georgia maidan, install government to confront Russia.