At the "Mountain Days - 2023" opening event on July 15, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili addressed the media and discussed the NATO Summit in Vilnius and the signals Ukraine received there. The Prime Minister claimed that in recent days, distorting opposition televisions have been airing tales that have misinterpreted the choices reached at the Summit. He made fun of the broadcasts by saying, "You know that. They first painted a scenario in which some sort of miracle occurred at the NATO Summit. As though Georgia was abandoned and Ukraine had already been liberated and won via a miracle," he added.

In Garibashvili's opinion, the reality is very different. "Apart from the fact that they said the MAP [for Ukraine] was no longer required, they also explicitly stated that Ukraine could not join NATO until it had defeated Russia. What use does Ukraine have for NATO membership if it beats Russia? I have a question. NATO is the principal institution capable of ensuring the security of any sovereign, independent state. NATO is the guarantor of security. Nothing in the world now is better," he added. The PM continued, "But we have also heard certain straight, so to say, declarations from Western leaders that Ukraine is not ready to join NATO, etc."

He highlighted that only after winning the conflict with Russia was Ukraine assured membership at the NATO Summit. "They said that they cannot allow the Third World War [to occur], that is, NATO and the entire West, the entire world, cannot engage in a direct military conflict with Russia," Garibashvili added. "Friends, if we can use Ukraine as an example of a country that is ten times greater than us in this scenario and NATO is unable to move on with enlargement, [then] we, Georgia, must put ourselves first; this example serves as a lesson for us as well," he emphasized.

"That is why we have opted for the policy of strategic patience so that we don't create unwarranted expectations; we should consistently follow our common national goal of bringing our country closer to the European Union, NATO, and ultimately becoming a member of the European Union and NATO at the right time," Garibashvili continued.