Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko apologized to President Volodymyr Zelensky over the country’s involvement in the war, Zelensky revealed in an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman published on Jan. 5.

“A few days into the war, I spoke with Lukashenko on the phone, and he apologized… he said, ‘It was not me, missiles were launched from my territory, and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin was the one launching them.’ These are his words, I have witnesses,” Zelensky said in his wide-ranging interview.

"‘And I apologize,’ he said. ‘But believe me’ — that’s what he told me — ‘Volodya (referring to Volodymyr Zelensky), this is not me. I’m not in charge,'" Zelensky added.

In response, Zelensky said that he called Lukashenko “a murderer,” questioning why Lukashenko allowed Russia to launch missiles at Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

Lukashenko became increasingly reliant on Russia after isolating Belarus from the West, following Belarus’ 2020 election. Lukashenko’s opposition and the West condemned the results as fraudulent.

Lukashenko cracked down on mass protests that broke out in response to the fraudulent election results. Since then, Belarusian authorities have increasingly suppressed political freedoms and have become complacent in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Despite not being directly involved in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Belarus continues to host Russian troops and missiles on its territory.

Lukashenko asked Putin on Dec. 6 to deploy the Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus, a weapon Russia recently used to strike Ukraine, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported. As many as 10 missile systems will be deployed, according to pro-Kremlin journalist Alexander Yunashev.

Belarus will be holding its next presidential election on Jan. 26 where Lukashenko is expected to be handed a seventh term in office.

Lukashenko to visit China ahead of Belarus presidential elections

The reported visit will be Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s third trip to China in three years. Lukashenko is likely looking to reduce Belarusian dependence on Russia, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation said.

The Kyiv IndependentVolodymyr Ivanyshyn

Georgian citizens are being urged to participate in a nationwide strike on Jan. 15 to demand the release of detained protestors and to call for new elections, Protest 24 posted on Facebook.

The strike, organized by Protest 24, will begin at 3 p.m. and last for three hours, with businesses and employees halting work during this time.

Organizers aim to highlight the potential consequences of political isolation, such as economic stagnation, unemployment, and poverty.

The dissatisfaction of citizens, stemming from disputed parliamentary elections in October, has intensified with the controversial inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili and the government’s stance against European integration.

The ruling Georgian Dream party, founded by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, has led Georgia closer to the Kremlin while hindering its accession to the European Union. The controversial foreign agents law adopted earlier this year led the EU to effectively freeze Georgia’s accession process.

Protesters hope the strike will underscore public frustration and push for democratic reforms.

Over 20 foreign citizens to be deported from Georgia for participating in protests

The Migration Department of the Georgian Interior Ministry has initiated expulsion proceedings against 25 foreign nationals.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

The Georgian government is planning to deport 25 foreigners for participating in mass protests in November and December 2024, News Georgia reported on Jan. 4, citing a Georgian Interior Ministry statement.

The pro-Russian Georgian Dream party claimed a sweeping victory in the Oct. 26 elections amid widespread allegations of fraud and intimidation. The disputed results triggered mass demonstrations in Tbilisi.

The Migration Department of the Georgian Interior Ministry has initiated expulsion proceedings against 25 foreign nationals who participated in the protests in Tbilisi in November and December. The court also imposed various administrative penalties on them.

The ministry added that 10 out of 25 citizens have already left Georgia’s territory, without specifying which countries they are citizens of.

There are no official statistics on foreigners detained during the protests. Over 20 of the nearly 450 arrested were foreign nationals, most of them Russians, News Georgia reported, citing reports by NGOs and other media.

In December, foreigners who attended the protests began to be summoned en masse to the Migration Department.

Human rights activists noted that this practice did not comply with international standards and warned that the deportation of foreign nationals for participating in peaceful demonstrations was contrary to national law.

Some 91 foreigners were ordered to leave the country between November and December 2024. According to News Georgia, more than a quarter of them participated in anti-government protests.

The ruling party, founded by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, has led Georgia closer to the Kremlin while hindering its accession to the European Union. The controversial foreign agents law adopted earlier this year led the EU to effectively freeze Georgia’s accession process.

The parliamentary elections and ensuing political crisis sparked a wave of large-scale demonstrations in Tbilisi. A second round of protests kicked off when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia’s integration into the EU could be postponed until 2028.

Protests in Georgia, explained

For the fifth day in a row, Georgians are holding massive protests against their government in the country’s capital, Tbilisi. The brewing dissatisfaction was ignited by the country’s democratic backsliding under the leadership of the pro-Russian, increasingly illiberal government. The final straw…

The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko will visit China this month ahead of the Jan. 26 presidential elections, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation reported on Jan. 3.

With Belarus isolated from the West due to Lukashenko’s repressive regime and continued support for Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Lukashenko has found China to be a key ally. In August the two nations pledged to strengthen security ties and improve cooperation.

Lukashenko is looking to improve mutual cooperation between Belarus and China in various fields, including pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering, and the defense industry, the Center for Countering Disinformation reported.

Lukashenko is likely looking to reduce Belarusian dependence on Russia and strengthen his hand in his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Center said.

Belarus is under pressure from Russia due to economic and energy dependency, debt from Russian loans, and Moscow’s military presence in Belarus. Lukashenko is also likely angling for China to mediate a reopening of trade routes from Belarus to the EU, according to the Center.

The trip will mark Lukashenko’s third visit to China in three years.

Lukashenko has been in power for 30 years and is seeking a seventh term on Jan. 26. The Belarusian presidential elections are not expected to be free or fair.

When Belarus last held elections in 2020, mass protests broke out and the West condemned the election results as fraudulent. Lukashenko’s regime quelled the protests in a large-scale crackdown on dissent.

‘You’ll die here’ – Belarusian political prisoners recount experiences ahead of Lukashenko’s reelection

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 30 years, is looking to reelect himself for the seventh time. In the run-up to the January 2025 presidential elections, Lukashenko has pardoned prisoners convicted of extremism, claiming that it was a “humane gesture” toward those…

The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan

Russian President Boris Yeltsin officially resigned on Dec. 31, 1999, anointing Vladimir Putin, then prime minister, as his successor.

Following the hardline stance against terrorism and the successful conduct of the Second Chechen War, Putin won the 2000 March presidential elections. He held on to power ever since.

Putin’s rise to power was marked by apartment bombings and a brutal war in Chechnya, while his first term as president saw him crushing the opposition, taking hold of nationwide TV outlets, and allowing the illicit enrichment of his allies and friends.

From Bucha to Kursk: 1,000 days of Russia’s full-scale war (Photos)

One thousand days ago, at 4 a.m. Kyiv time, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the deadliest military conflict in Europe since World War II. For 1,000 days, Ukraine has been defending against the Russian military, well-equipped and superior in numbers of weapons and people deployed.…

The Kyiv IndependentIrynka Hromotska

Putin’s second term in office saw the terrorist attacks on Russian soil and the killings of prominent opposition figures.

Putin’s third, fourth, and fifth terms as Russia’s president were marked by Russia’s war against Ukraine and the descent of his country into totalitarianism.

This photo story lists 25 major events that define Putin’s 25-year-long rule over Russia.

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1999-2000 Battle of Grozny

In the summer of 1999, Chechen militias conducted a raid into neighboring Dagestan, effectively launching the Second Chechen War. Three days later, Putin was appointed as the country's prime minister and de facto Yeltsin's successor.

Before being appointed acting president and immediately after, Putin oversaw the bombing and ground assault on Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic.

According to Amnesty International, 25,000 civilians were killed in Chechnya during the Second Chechen War, while the city of Grozny was said to be the most bombarded and destroyed city in Europe at that time. Russia installed a Chechen government headed first by Akhmat Kadyrov and then by his son Ramzan, who established an oppressive regional dictatorship known for torture and execution of those seen as unreliable.

2000 Kursk submarine

On Aug. 12, 2000, Russia's Kursk submarine sank in the Barents Sea, with all 118 personnel on board being killed. Putin faced criticism for failing to pay attention to the disaster initially and for the authorities' incompetence and mishandling of the botched rescue efforts.

Putin's interview with U.S. TV anchor Larry King summed up the president's response. When asked by King what happened to Kursk, Putin responded "it sank" with a smile.

2001 Putin's takeover of NTV channel

On July 20, 2000, the Russian authorities struck a deal to acquire NTV, the largest TV channel independent from the Kremlin, from billionaire Vladimir Gusinsky in exchange for dropping a criminal case against him.

In 2001, criticism of the Kremlin has been eliminated at NTV, with Putin later destroying all independent media in the country.

2002 Nord Ost

On Oct. 23, 2002, Chechen terrorists took 912 hostages at Moscow's Dubrovka theater. A total of 132 hostages and 40 terrorists were killed. Most of the hostages died due to poison gas used by Russian security forces.

2003 Khodorkovsky's arrest

On Oct. 25, 2003, Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a political opponent of Putin, was arrested by Russian law enforcement officers.

The move was the beginning of a more authoritarian stage in the evolution of Putin's regime. Later Khodorkovsky, the owner of oil company Yukos, and many of his subordinates and associates were jailed.

Khodorkovsky was pardoned, released from jail and forced to move abroad in 2013.

2004 Beslan

On Sept. 1, 2004, Chechen terrorists took 1,000 hostages at a school in Beslan, North Ossetia. As a result, 334 hostages and 31 terrorists were killed.

The Kremlin used the Beslan hostage crisis as an excuse for a series of authoritarian reforms — including the cancelation of gubernatorial elections — that enabled Putin to further centralize and monopolize power.

2006 Politkovskaya's murder

Investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, a vehement critic of Putin's regime and that of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, was shot dead in her building's elevator on Putin's birthday on Oct. 7, 2006.

Several Chechens have been convicted as perpetrators of the murder but the organizers have not been identified.

2006 Litvinenko's murder

Former Russian intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko, who accused Putin of orchestrating the 1999 Moscow apartment bombings, was poisoned in the U.K. on Nov. 1, 2006 with polonium-210, a radioactive element.

The British police charged Andrei Lugovoi, a former KGB officer and current pro-Kremlin lawmaker, and businessman Dmitry Kovtun with murdering Litvinenko.

In 2016, a British court concluded that Putin and Nikolai Patrushev, the former head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), “probably” ordered Litvinenko’s assassination.

2008 Georgia war

As Putin reached his term limit, he picked his ally Dmitriy Medvedev to take over the presidency. Under Putin and Medvedev, Russia invaded Georgia on Aug. 1, 2008 following deteriorating relations with pro-Western Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

A ceasefire was concluded on Aug. 12 but Russian troops still occupy Georgia's Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions, which account for over 20% of Georgia's territory.

2011-2013 protests

In 2011-2013, tens of thousands of Russians protested against rigged parliamentary and presidential elections and Putin's increasing authoritarianism. These protests — led by Alexei Navalny, Boris Nemtsov, and Ilya Yashin and others — were the largest opposition rallies in Russia since the 1990s.

The protests didn't achieve the intended results. Nemtsov was killed in 2015 near the Kremlin, Navalny was killed in prison in 2024, and Yashin was imprisoned and later released as part of the 2024 East-West prisoner swap.

2014 annexation of Crimea

Following the EuroMaidan Revolution in Ukraine and the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, Russian troops invaded Ukraine, effectively beginning the Russo-Ukrainian War, now in its 11th year.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula on Feb. 27, 2014. Later, Russia held a sham referendum and illegally annexed Crimea on March 18. It occupies the peninsula to this day.

2014 invasion of Donbas

On April 12, 2014, fighters led by former Russian intelligence officer Igor Girkin captured the city of Sloviansk in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast.

Russian proxies seized a number of cities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts with active support from Russian troops that shelled Ukraine from across the border.

In August 2014, Russia launched a ground invasion of Ukraine's east, forcing Kyiv to sign the first Minsk Agreements.

2014 MH17

On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by Russian forces over Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, with all 298 people on board being killed.

A Dutch court has established that the plane was downed by a Russian Buk surface-to-air missile. Two Russians and one Ukrainian proxy working for Russia were convicted for the murder in absentia in 2022.

2015 Nemtsov's murder

Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was shot dead in front of the Kremlin on Feb. 27, 2015.

Nemtsov was a critic of both Putin and the Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov. A Russian court has convicted Zaur Dadayev, ex-top commander of Kadyrov’s Sever (North) police battalion, and several other Chechen fighters as part of the Nemstov murder case.

The identity of the person who ordered the assassination was not disclosed.

2015 intervention in Syria

On Sept. 30, 2015, Russia launched its military intervention in Syria to prop up the regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad. Russian troops actively conducted air raids against the opposition and terrorists from the Islamic State.

Russia was able to keep al-Assad in power until 2024 when his regime collapsed following an offensive by the country's opposition.

2018 Skripal poisoning

Former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia survived after being poisoned on March 4, 2018 in Salisbury, U.K., with Novichok, a nerve agent produced by the Russian government.

Dawn Sturgess, a British citizen, accidentally came into contact with the poison and died as a result. The British authorities identified Russian military intelligence agents using the passports of Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Bashirov as suspects in the murder case.

2020 constitutional amendments

From June 25 to July 1, 2020, Russia held a rigged vote on constitutional amendments that eliminated limits on Putin's presidential terms, effectively making him dictator for life.

According to Russian-born election expert Alexander Kireyev, the vote was the most falsified one in Russian history. Based on a mathematical analysis of official data, he estimated the number of rigged votes to be 20 million.

2020-2021 poisoning and imprisonment of Navalny

On Aug. 20, 2020, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned while traveling across Russia. After days of protest he was flown for treatment to Germany while in a coma.

German doctors, as well as several independent labs in Europe, said that he had been poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent — a chemical weapon produced by the Russian government.

A joint investigation by The Insider, Bellingcat, CNN, and Der Spiegel revealed that Navalny had been poisoned by agents of Russia’s Federal Security Service.

Despite the poisoning, Navalny decided to return to Russia on Jan. 17, 2021 and was jailed upon arrival on trumped-up charges.

2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine

On Feb. 24, 2022, Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which became the deadliest war in Europe since World War II.

Russia's war against Ukraine led to hundreds of thousands of people being killed and even more injured.

In their initial push, Russian troops failed to take Kyiv, eventually pulling out of some of the occupied territories. After Russian troops withdrew, vast war crimes were uncovered by Ukrainian and international law enforcement.

The Bucha Massacre, mass graves in liberated Kharkiv Oblast, torture chambers in Kherson, executions, and rape of the civilian population across Ukraine's north, east, and south was what Russia left behind.

2022 first mobilization in Russia since World War II

On Sept. 21, 2022, Putin launched the first mobilization of conscripts in Russia since World War II.

The decision followed Russia's rapid withdrawal from parts of Kharkiv Oblast due to a lack of manpower. The mobilization was completed on Oct. 28 but Putin's mobilization decree is still in force, allowing him to keep those already drafted on the front line in Ukraine.

2023 ICC arrest warrant for Putin

On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Over 20,000 Ukrainian children were abducted by Russia from the occupied parts of Ukraine.

This warrant is the first attempt to bring Putin to justice.

2023 Prigozhin's rebellion and death

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, launched a rebellion against Putin on June 23, 2023.

Several thousand Wagner mercenaries took over the city of Rostov-on-Don and marched northwest toward Moscow. Short of reaching Moscow, Prigozhin concluded a deal with Putin on June 24 and halted the mutiny.

Two months later — on Aug. 23 — a private jet with Prigozhin on board crashed not far from Moscow, killing him and his associates. Independent analysts point to Putin as the most likely organizer of Prigozhin’s killing.

2024 Navalny's death

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny died on Feb. 16, 2024 at the Polar Wolf penal colony in the town of Kharp, Yamal Nenets Autonomous District.

Independent experts and Western politicians say that Putin is personally responsible for Navalny's death. Some argue that Navalny was killed intentionally, while others believe he died due to harsh conditions and a lack of medical treatment.

2024 Crocus Hall terrorist attack

On March 22, 2024, a group of terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk, a Moscow suburb, shooting people and setting the venue on fire.

At least 145 people were killed, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Russia since 2004. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

2024 First invasion of Russian territory since World War II (Kursk operation)

Following setbacks on the eastern front, on Aug. 6, Ukrainian troops entered Russia's Kursk Oblast — the first major invasion of Russian territory since World War II.

Ukraine still controls part of the region's territory.

Polish farmers launched a protest in Warsaw on Jan. 3 against agricultural imports from Ukraine and the EU policies they claim are threatening their livelihoods, the RMF24 news outlet reported.

The protest follows a series of demonstrations by Polish farmers against Ukrainian agricultural imports after the EU lifted tariffs on goods from Ukraine in 2022.

The most recent rally, which coincides with the inauguration of the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU, is held under the slogan “Five times STOP."

The five issues that sparked the protest include Ukrainian imports, the European bloc’s trade deal with the Mercosur group of South American countries, the Green Deal, the EU policies on forests and hunting, and the perceived “extinction of the Polish economy."

The protests began at 2 p.m. local time in front of the European Commission representation building on Jasna Street. Approximately two hours later, the farmers will hold a march through the city and conclude the event at 11 p.m.

“All agricultural organizations in our country will protest against the harmful policies of the European Union, against (European Commission President) Ursula von der Leyen, who is imposing policies that will force closure of our farms,” said Tomasz Obszanski, chairman of the Independent Farmers' Trade Union Solidarnosc (Solidarity).

Polish farmers and truckers launched their largest protests in late 2023 and early 2024, blocking off cargo traffic at the Polish-Ukrainian border. Most recently, on Nov. 23, 2024, farmers staged a blockade at the Shehyni border crossing with Ukraine, which lasted just over a day and restricted truck traffic.

Warsaw has already implemented import bans on certain Ukrainian products, such as grain, citing negative impacts on Polish agriculture.

The Polish government has expressed support for farmers’ concerns, highlighting challenges posed by the EU’s trade policies while also seeking to maintain solidarity with Ukraine during the ongoing war.

Poland prepared to increase energy exports to Ukraine in place of Slovakia, Bloomberg reports

Poland is ready to increase domestic electricity production if Slovakia halts the delivery of backup power supplies to Ukraine, an unnamed Polish official told Bloomberg on Dec. 29.

The Kyiv IndependentVolodymyr Ivanyshyn

The United States has sanctioned two entities accused of advancing Iranian and Russian disinformation campaigns aimed at influencing American voters before this year’s election, according to the Treasury Department.

Treasury officials announced on Dec. 31 that these groups sought to deepen divisions among Americans ahead of November’s vote. U.S. intelligence agencies have identified both governments as responsible for spreading disinformation, including fake news stories, videos, and social media posts, to manipulate voters and erode confidence in U.S. elections.

“The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,” said Bradley T. Smith, Treasury’s acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

Authorities identified the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise as a key player in creating, funding, and distributing disinformation about American candidates, including AI-generated deepfake videos. The sanctions also target the center’s director, who allegedly collaborated with Russian military intelligence agents responsible for cyberattacks and sabotage against Western nations.

The center reportedly used artificial intelligence to generate fake videos and developed numerous fake news websites designed to appear legitimate. It also paid U.S. companies to host pro-Russian content.

The Iranian group, the Cognitive Design Production Center, is linked to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist organization. Officials claim the center has been inciting political tensions in the U.S. since at least 2023, including encouraging protests over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Iran of hacking into the accounts of high-profile current and former U.S. officials, including senior figures from Donald Trump’s campaign.

Ahead of the election, intelligence agencies also identified efforts by Russia, Iran, and China to undermine trust in U.S. democracy.

EU to impose first sanctions on Russian intelligence over disinformation campaigns, Bloomberg reports

The proposed measures target more than a dozen individuals and three entities, including Russian intelligence officers and media entrepreneurs, according to Bloomberg. The sanctions aim to counter destabilizing operations globally.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

The Nordic Baltic Eight countries have urged Georgia to hold new elections following disputed parliamentary elections in October and the inauguration of the new president, according to their statement published on Dec. 29.

The countries include Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia.

Georgian anti-Western politician Mikheil Kavelashvili, an ally of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was inaugurated as the country’s sixth president on Dec. 29 in a move seen as illegitimate by the opposition.

The eight countries expressed concerns over reported irregularities during the elections, violence against peaceful demonstrators, and threats to Georgia’s fifth and previous President Salome Zourabishvili, who disputes the legitimacy of the election results.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze emphasized the need to restore public confidence in Georgia’s democratic institutions and called for implementing OSCE electoral recommendations as a step toward resolving the crisis.

“As long-standing friends of Georgia, and supporters of the European aspirations of the Georgian people, we are alarmed by the country’s path toward deeper polarisation and crisis,” the statement said.

“Georgia urgently needs a way out of the crisis, and to restore public trust in its democratic institutions.”

The statement condemned the use of intimidation and urged the Georgian authorities to take immediate action.

Protests in Georgia, explained

For the fifth day in a row, Georgians are holding massive protests against their government in the country’s capital, Tbilisi. The brewing dissatisfaction was ignited by the country’s democratic backsliding under the leadership of the pro-Russian, increasingly illiberal government. The final straw…

The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court

Georgian anti-Western politician Mikheil Kavelashvili, an ally of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was inaugurated as the country’s sixth president on Dec. 29 in a move seen as illegitimate by the opposition.

Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, said she would vacate the presidential palace but stressed she remains the only legitimate head of state, pledging to continue the struggle against the ruling party.

Zourabichvili called Kavelashvili’s election a “mockery of democracy” as the former football player was elected as the only candidate on the ballot by the new parliament seen as illegitimate by its opponents.

The inauguration ceremony in the parliament building was attended by oligarch and Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili but not by foreign diplomats, who were not invited due to alleged “lack of space."

Pro-EU Zourabichvili called upon the government’s opponents to gather at the presidential palace to join yet another rally against the Russian-friendly Georgian Dream party. Opposition parties said they would continue to recognize Zourabichvili as the legitimate president.

The most recent waves of protests have been ongoing in the South Caucasus country since Georgian Dream claimed victory in the October parliamentary elections disputed by the opposition and international observers.

Protests in Georgia, explained

For the fifth day in a row, Georgians are holding massive protests against their government in the country’s capital, Tbilisi. The brewing dissatisfaction was ignited by the country’s democratic backsliding under the leadership of the pro-Russian, increasingly illiberal government. The final straw…

The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court

The government stepped in with riot police and tear gas against the protesters and said that the country’s EU accession process would be suspended at least until 2028 amid Western criticism.

Speaking to citizens gathering at the Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi, Zourabichvili called the ruling party “locked up, scared, corrupt, illegitimate, unrecognized, subject to sanctions” in an apparent reference to recent U.S. sanctions on Ivanishvili.

Zourabichvili said that her loyalty to the Georgian people does not change based on whether she is inside or outside the presidential palace, adding: “I will leave here with you and will be with you. I take with me legitimacy, the flag, your trust."

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze threatened Zourabichvili ahead of the inauguration by forcibly removing her and placing her in a “correctional facility” if she refused to leave the presidential seat voluntarily.

Georgian Dream, in power since 2012, has been accused of undermining the country’s democracy and dragging it into the Kremlin’s orbit while derailing EU accession efforts.

The ruling-party-backed foreign agents law, compared to similar repressive legislation in Russia, was adopted in May amid widespread criticism from international partners and mass protests at home.

In 2024, Belarus, under dictator Alexander Lukashenko, continued to descend into totalitarianism, imprisoning people at will and providing full-fledged support to Russia in its brutal all-out war.Lukashenko signed a number of bilateral treaties with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, helping him facilitate the major East-West prisoner swap that saw spies and murderers return safely to Russia. Lukashenko also reignited a major migrant crisis at the country’s western borders, effectively making it harder for people to leave the state.Here is the round-up of key events that happened in Belarus in 2024.

Source : kyivindependent.com/belarus-w…

Georgian Protest Under Ru-Propaganda Attack By Viktoria Odusanvo Georgia’s parliamentary elections have sparked a political crisis, triggering widespread protests in the streets of Tbilisi. These demo Source : uacrisis.org/en/georgi…

Source : www.youtube.com/watch

Editor’s note: Democracy matters. Resistance to Russia needs to be highlighted and supported. That’s why we’re bringing you coverage from Tbilisi, Georgia today, to highlight yet another place that pr Source : www.counteroffensive.news/p/what-it…

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has pledged to veto a proposal to impose EU sanctions on Georgian officials, for their crackdown on anti-government protests, the First Channel of Georgia re Source : kyivindependent.com/hungary-v…

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, host Anna Belokur explains the recent meeting between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky, the escalating protests in Georgia Source : kyivindependent.com/trump-zel…

Georgian police detained Tsotne Koberidze, a politician and member of the Coalition for Change opposition group, on Dec. 6 amid government crackdowns as pro-EU protests in the country continue. This c Source : kyivindependent.com/georgian-…

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky signed on Dec. 5 sanctions against Georgian government officials who are, in his words, “surrendering Georgia to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.” The sanctio Source : kyivindependent.com/ukraine-s…

Georgian police detained Nika Gvaramia, the leader of the Coalition for Change opposition party on Dec. 4 amid government crackdown as pro-EU protests in the country continue. Gvaramia was dragged out Source : kyivindependent.com/georgian-…

Source : www.youtube.com/watch

President Volodymyr Zelensky tasked Ukrainian officials to prepare sanctions against the Georgian government amid a crackdown against pro-EU protests in the country, he said in an evening address on D Source : kyivindependent.com/ukraine-p…