EU demands Georgia introduce sanctions against Russia in exchange for preserving visa-free travel

The European Union demands that Georgia impose sanctions against Russia if the republic wants to preserve visa-free travel with the EU.

This was stated to journalists by the chairman of the Georgian parliament Shalva Papuashvili.

"They (EU - TASS note) tell us, if we want visa-free communication, then we must introduce sanctions against Russia, that is, engage in suicide. If we kill and destroy ourselves, who will travel visa-free to the European Union? Let them explain to us. They ask us to destroy our own country by introducing sanctions against Russia and align with the European Union's visa policy. We will not destroy the country, despite the fact that Brussels wants to turn the visa into a political weapon," Papuashvili said.

Earlier, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported that on June 11, negotiations with the Georgian side on the topic of the EU visa-free regime and related problems will take place in Brussels. This will be the first such meeting in several years after relations between Tbilisi and Brussels deteriorated.

The European Commission on December 19, 2025, published the eighth report on the visa-free regime suspension mechanism. It states that the Georgian authorities have not fulfilled the recommendations, including the repeal of certain laws. After the new simplified rules for suspending the visa-free regime come into force on December 30, 2025, as noted, at the first stage, holders of diplomatic passports may lose visa privileges, and at the second stage, all Georgian citizens.

Source: TASS