The war on truth: Russian disinformation and Georgia’s path to EU

The Georgian Dream (GD) party’s decision to suspend EU accession negotiations until 2028 has fueled massive protests across Georgia. These demonstrations – ongoing since allegations of electoral fraud marred the October 2024 parliamentary elections – have been met with repeated and violent police crackdowns. Authorities have used excessive force on protestors, politicians, and media representatives.

Confronted with growing resistance to GD’s shift away from EU integration, pro-Kremlin outlets in Georgia have pushed disinformation campaigns to discredit pro-European protesters, downplay police violence, and portray Georgia’s Western allies as instigators.

These sources also encourage closer ties with Russia. Pro-Kremlin disinformation, primarily in Georgian, often mirrors messaging from Georgian Dream. Meanwhile, Russian state outlets like Sputnik echo these narratives, with subtle variations.

Sacrificing the truth

Pro-Kremlin outlets inside Georgia targeted opposition parties and protesting citizens with derogatory labels, branding(opens in a new tab) them as ‘liberal-fascists,’ traitors(opens in a new tab), and puppets(opens in a new tab) of the West(opens in a new tab). Their goal was to discredit any actor advocating for European integration. Some claimed(opens in a new tab) that Georgia was experiencing an attempted violent overthrow of its constitutional order.

Commentators portrayed(opens in a new tab) Georgia’s President, Salome Zourabichvili, as part of the opposition and accused(opens in a new tab) her of being a Western agent working for foreign intelligence services. These claims suggested that the West openly backs the opposition, labeled the opposition as a ‘fifth column,’ a common Kremlin tactics. Meanwhile, the police and Ministry of Internal Affairs were credited(opens in a new tab) with preventing what was framed as an attempted coup.

Some accusations veered into the absurd. One commentator alleged(opens in a new tab) that President Zourabichvili had called for sacrificing children to strengthen the protests, while another article(opens in a new tab) claimed the McCain Institute had called for a ‘sacral sacrifice’—a complete fabrication. These claims also accused(opens in a new tab) Western organisations, foundations, NGOs, and diplomatic actors of orchestrating the protests.

Calling protesters ‘cannon fodder’

Russian state outlets like Sputnik accused(opens in a new tab) the opposition of staying in the background during clashes and using young protesters as cannon fodder. In reality, protest participants have deliberately distanced themselves from opposition political figures and discouraged speeches by opposition leaders at the protests due to their limited public support.

Sputnik downplayed police violence and praised law enforcement professionalism, despite widespread video evidence of human rights violations. Protesters were labelled extremists(opens in a new tab) and radicals(opens in a new tab) who had to be ‘forced into peace’, a phrase repeated across pro-government channels to legitimise crackdowns. Sputnik Georgia asserted(opens in a new tab) that protesters were following a ‘Maidan scenario’.

Old friends, new enemies?

Inside Georgia, pro-Kremlin outlets framed the protests as Western-backed attempts at a ‘colour revolution’(opens in a new tab). Narratives accused(opens in a new tab) the US and EU of inciting unrest and civil war.

They targeted organisations such as US Agency for International Development (USAID) and National Endowment for Democracy (NED), accusing them of financing revolutions and undermining Georgia’s sovereignty. This campaign intensified after US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend all US foreign aid for 90 days. Commentators accused such organisations of orchestrating revolutions in various countries.

Outlets alleged USAID funneled funds to engage(opens in a new tab) in subversive activities and repressed conservative forces like the Alt-Info group, portraying it as an enemy of Georgian tradition and identity.

These narratives aligned with Georgian Dream messaging, framing the protests as an attempted coup. Figures from GD and allied outlets accused the West of blackmail and interference, reinforcing the idea of a Maidan-style coup attempt in Georgia.

Blame others for you want yourself

Sputnik Georgia alleged that pro-European protests were professionally organised(opens in a new tab) by Western intelligence agencies. Sputnik South Ossetia claimed the US was using protesters to repeat(opens in a new tab) a ‘Euromaidan scenario(opens in a new tab)’, while Sputnik Georgia accused the EU of interfering in Georgia’s internal affairs.

Some outlets went further, linking unrest in Georgia with the war in Ukraine. Sputnik South Ossetia claimed(opens in a new tab) Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had a vested interest in regime change in Georgia to recruit Georgian fighters.

The besieged fortress mentality

Sputnik Georgia fantasised about a Western plan to open a ‘second front’ against Russia from the Caucasus, likening it to a ‘Kursk-2’ scenario. According to(opens in a new tab) this narrative, the West’s strategy involved a coup, followed by provocations and foreign militants, escalating conflict in the North Caucasus.

Moscow: come back to us, reject ‘sodomite Europe’

Pro-Kremlin outlets backed(opens in a new tab) GD’s decision to suspend EU talks, calling(opens in a new tab) it a step against Western pressure. Some narratives portrayed(opens in a new tab) the decision as liberation from ‘sodomite Europe’ and a move toward true sovereignty.

Russian state outlets praised the government’s actions. Sputnik Georgia claimed Georgia was freeing itself from another Western-backed ‘colour revolution’

Quo Vadis Georgia?

Pro-Russian outlets urged restoration(opens in a new tab) of diplomatic ties with Russia as necessary for Georgia’s future. Articles promoted alliances like the 3+3 platform, BRICS, and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Some called on(opens in a new tab) Georgian officials to initiate dialogue with Moscow, portrayin(opens in a new tab)g Russia as the guarantor of Georgia’s territorial integrity, despite the ongoing occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Let bygones be bygones

Sputnik Georgia(opens in a new tab) connected the breakaway regions to the protests.

The outlets claimed(opens in a new tab) that Washington and Brussels were exerting(opens in a new tab) pressure(opens in a new tab) on these regions, while Sputnik Abkhazia noted(opens in a new tab) that pre-election statements acknowledging reconciliation shaped Georgia’s future approach to Sokhumi and Tskhinvali.

Sputnik South Ossetia called(opens in a new tab) for official apologies and legal commitments from Georgia, positioning Russia as a neutral arbiter while continuing to occupy these regions.

Enemies everywhere

Sputnik Georgia claimed(opens in a new tab) Armenian political figures and NGOs had arrived to participate in the protests. Another article alleged(opens in a new tab) the presence of 2,000 ‘professional Maidanists’ inciting youth-led demonstrations. Sputnik claimed(opens in a new tab) included reports of Russian citizens being pressured to join protests or evicted for refusing to support them.

In the face of relentless disinformation, Georgia stands at a crossroads between sovereignty and subjugation, truth and manipulation. Pro-Kremlin narratives aim to fracture public trust, vilify democratic aspirations, and rewrite reality to serve foreign interests. This orchestrated paranoia may be powerful and persistent, crafted to distort reality and sow distrust—but don’t be deceived.