As the possibility of Russian invasion looms in Ukraine, Georgian opposition MPs have called on their governing Georgian Dream colleagues and the government to take a united approach in support of Kyiv.

In a joint news conference, parliamentarians from the United National Movement (UNM), Lelo, and Strategy Aghmashenebeli proposed to the Georgian Dream to start parliamentary talks on drafting a multi-partisan resolution in support of Ukraine.

The opposition MPs also requested Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to convene an extended session of the National Security Council with opposition participation. The focus would be to assess the threats to Georgia posed by Russia's prolonged military build-up and probable invasion of Ukraine.

"Renewed Russian aggression is a very severe threat and a challenge in terms of general regional security and geopolitics," UNM MP Khatia Dekanoidze said, adding that the Kremlin's actions against Ukraine also put Georgia's security at risk.

MP Dekanoidze also requested that Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani and Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze meet with legislators for consultations on the issue.

Meanwhile, Lelo parliamentary group MP Salome Samadashvili stressed the need of a cross-party parliamentary visit to Kyiv.

"This would send a strong message to everyone, including our Western allies and Russia, that Georgia and Ukraine have no intention of making compromises," said MP Samadashvili.

Georgian Dream MP Irakli Zarkua responded by claiming that the "radical opposition" may do "anything they want," but that "we are the state, the ruling party, and we have certain duties in our comments."

MP Zarkua reiterated his support for Ukraine and urged the international community to defend Kyiv and Tbilisi's interests.

Davit Matikashvili, a GD legislator, said, "of course there will be a discussion" on a unified attitude of the Parliament, adding, "if there is a need for it, this agreed position will be communicated."

Later, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated his support for "brotherly Ukraine in safeguarding its sovereignty and people's security."

The Parliamentary Chairperson condemned "any country's" acts that jeopardise the sovereignty or territorial integrity of others but did not specifically reference Russia.

During a meeting on January 17, Speaker Papuashvili expressed Georgia's support to Ukrainian Ambassador Igor Dolgov.

While Georgian Dream lawmakers have made several statements in support of Ukraine, President Salome Zourabichvili and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili have kept a low profile as Moscow demands written "guarantees" from the West over the West's rejection of Georgian-Ukrainian NATO membership aspirations.

Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani attempted to fill the hole with a terse tweet, emphasising that "threatening any country's sovereignty and territorial integrity is completely abhorrent.  Georgia stands in solidarity with Ukraine and [the] Ukrainian people.”

"Georgian FM tweets sympathy for Ukraine without naming Russia, as if it is Vanuatu threatening to invade Ukraine," opposition European Georgia's Giorgi Kandelaki stated in response to the senior diplomat's Twitter remark. And Georgia's prime minister has said nothing about this, despite Russia's insistence that Georgia never join NATO. "This encapsulates everything."

Meanwhile, Georgian citizens and internet users have expressed strong support for Ukraine. On January 23, a large crowd of people, activists, and opposition politicians gathered outside the Ukrainian Embassy in Tbilisi to demonstrate their support for Kyiv.

Andrii Kasianov, a Ukrainian ambassador who came out to talk with the protestors, highlighted the importance of strong international support for Ukraine in the face of Russian military threats and efforts to prevent it from joining NATO and the EU.

Georgian civil society organisations have also spoken out, with Transparency International Georgia and the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) stating that the Georgian people support Ukraine's unity and sovereignty.