David Arakhamia, the leader of Ukraine's Servant of the People party in the Verkhovna Rada, has proposed three conditions for Georgia to meet in order to "normalise relations" with Ukraine. These conditions include the release and repatriation of Mikheil Saakashvili, who holds Ukrainian citizenship; the cessation of direct flights to Russia, as demanded by the Georgian public; and an end to actions that help the aggressor evade sanctions. Arakhamia stressed that meeting these conditions would facilitate the normalisation process.
The day before Arakhamia's statement, on 11 March, the Georgian government publicly criticised the inclusion of Zurab Adeishvili, a former chief prosecutor and justice minister wanted by the UNM, in Ukraine's official delegations to Brussels and Berlin. In a statement addressed to the Ukrainian government, Georgia stressed the need for the extradition of individuals holding senior positions in the Ukrainian administration who are wanted by Georgia as a crucial step towards the restoration of bilateral relations.
In a rebuttal posted on his Telegram channel on 12 March, Arakhamia responded to the Georgian government's extradition demands by highlighting the pro-Kremlin stance of the Georgian authorities. He suggested that the real path to "normalisation" lay within the framework of the three steps he had previously outlined.
On the same day, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze reiterated Georgia's support for Ukraine and urged the Ukrainian government to make decisions that would enhance the longstanding friendship between the two nations without fostering unnecessary divisions. Acknowledging the difficult circumstances in Ukraine, Kobakhidze expressed his respect for the Ukrainian people and said that he would prefer not to get involved in disputes with Arakhamia or other political figures.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the leader of the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority, argued that "such an attitude of Arakhamia is a continuation of the unfriendly attitude, which means not only unfriendliness, but also the enmity of this country, and I hope that such an attitude of him and his accomplices in this matter, despite everything, will never shake the historical friendship of the two peoples".
Mamuka Mdinaradze calls it a lie that Georgia is being used to evade sanctions. According to him, there is no evidence of this. "I say directly, without exaggeration, that it is a very dirty lie that Georgia is being used to circumvent [sanctions]. This lie started in Georgia, in the Georgian parliament, and continued beyond its borders. Unfortunately, Davit Arakhamia is an accomplice to this lie. There is no evidence in nature to prove that Georgia is helping Russia to evade sanctions. This is a very dark lie that has been used against Georgia for two years," Mdinaradze said.
According to Giorgi Kakhiani, the Georgian deputy spokesman, Davit Arakhamia's statements reflect the attitude of the Ukrainian authorities towards Georgia. According to him, despite this attitude, Georgia will continue to support Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, we see in Arakhamia's statements the attitude of the Ukrainian authorities towards our country. Georgia stands by Ukraine in a very difficult situation and we will do everything to support it. Unfortunately, we get such an unfair attitude from them, but in this case we share the situation they are in. We see what a difficult situation Ukraine is in and therefore it is not worth getting into a polemic with them on such issues. Despite this unfair dependency, we will continue to support Ukraine," said Giorgi Kakhian during his visit to Switzerland.