Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv expressed the solidarity of both the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and himself, as the Primate of the Church, with the people of Georgia.
In a message, Metropolitan Epifaniy said he was praying for the people of Georgia. “We wish our brothers and sisters to preserve their independence and their future as a free European state. The truth will prevail! May God bless those who are on the side of truth,” he said.
Православна Церква України і я особисто, як її Предстоятель, молимося за народ Грузії, бажаємо нашим братам і сестрам захистити свою незалежність і своє майбутнє, як вільної європейської нації. Правда переможе! Нехай Бог благословить всіх, хто на боці правди!
The Orthodox…
— Митрополит Епіфаній (@Epifaniy) December 3, 2024
Meanwhile, intense anti-government protests continue in Georgia, with demonstrators accusing the government of pro-Russian authoritarian tendencies and of stalling the country’s European Union membership process.
On Monday, thousands of protesters again gathered in the capital, Tbilisi, marking the fifth day of widespread mobilization against government policies. The ruling Georgian Dream party, in power since 2012, sparked the protests last Thursday by postponing EU accession negotiations until 2028 – despite the goal being enshrined in the former Soviet republic’s constitution.
Russia denies interfering in its neighbor’s affairs. But former President Dmitry Medvedev warned on Sunday that Georgia was “rapidly heading down the Ukrainian path, into a dark abyss,” adding, “These things usually end very badly.”
The Kremlin said Monday that the wave of pro-EU protests in Georgia resembles an attempt at a Ukraine-style “orange revolution.” It also noted that authorities were working to stabilize the situation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that some protesters clearly broke the law by attacking police, but stressed that Russia would not get involved.
It is worth noting that during a 2008 war with Georgia over two breakaway regions that the Kremlin later recognized as independent, Russia sent tanks and troops within 20 miles of Tbilisi. This was the first instance of unilaterally redrawing the borders of states formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, Russia has maintained a military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, occupying about 20 percent of Georgian territory.
