According to Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, it is possible that the situation on the borders of Georgia will escalate "if the Georgian government comes under pressure". He also mentioned that Georgia can hope to fulfill its demands regarding taking Abkhazia and South Ossetia back if Russia is defeated in Ukraine.
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Zatulin responded to Georgian president Salome Zourabichvilis's statement, according to which, with the peace agreement signed to end the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, Russia should also be required to end its nearly 15-year-long occupation of Georgian territories.
"For Georgia's demand to be fulfilled, Russia must be defeated. If defeated it is possible to put forward different ideas which can be demanded from Russia. We hope there will not be a failure. So what Ms. Zurabishvili is talking about is unlikely to be implemented," Zatulin told the Russian media.
According to him, there are examples when countries that did not participate in the conflict received "bonuses" after its end, but Georgia "has no direct connection with today's events".
"Georgia is trying to increase its price and once again demand something from Russia so that don't forget about the interests of Georgia - to regain Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Zurabishvili is not the main face, although she is the president. It's not up to her. There may be an escalation, but that's if Georgian government authorities will be subjected to the pressure that is applied to them. It’s applied in reality. However, in 2008, Georgia tried to test Russia and achieved the opposite - Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Thus, dreams of getting those territories back remain in the world of dreams and fantasy," said Zatulin.
Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili said in an interview with Bloomberg that if the complete withdrawal of Russian forces from the occupied territories won't be a term of surrender, the Western world will make another big mistake - as big as in 2008 and 2014.
"Russia has to learn where its borders are," Zurabishvili said. "The Georgian issues should be on the table because nobody should think that this war can be resolved without Russia retreating from all the occupied territories".
According to the Georgian president, Russia's defeat is fast approaching and it has "already practically lost the battles if not completely the war".
