Kobakhidze Dismisses 'Pro-Russian' Label, Backs Gabbard's Deep State Claims
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
The Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday rejected accusations that his Georgian Dream party and its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, are aligned with Russian interests, calling such claims part of a wider disinformation campaign driven by global "deep state" forces.
His remarks followed comments from Tulsi Gabbard, the former U.S. congresswoman and current Director of National Intelligence, who alleged a coordinated effort by Obama-era officials to undermine Donald Trump's 2016 victory through claims of Russian election interference. Gabbard described the events as a product of the U.S. "deep state."
Kobakhidze echoed those claims, arguing that similar tactics are being used worldwide to discredit governments that challenge foreign influence.
"Labeling opponents as pro-Russian is a well-worn tactic of the deep state in various countries," he said. "This is how they discredit politicians and governments that don't follow their orders."
He cited French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, Romanian presidential candidate George Simion, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as examples of figures similarly targeted, claiming Georgian Dream faces the same pressure for pursuing sovereign policies.
"Labeling our government as pro-Russian has only one reason - we are not following foreign orders, we have cleared all branches of government of agents, we defend sovereignty, we have not allowed LGBT propaganda, and we have not engaged in war," Kobakhidze said. "Nobody has presented us with any evidence to prove we are pro-Russian."
Defending Ivanishvili, who has faced criticism over his business history in Russia, Kobakhidze said the accusations have never been backed by facts.
"The deep state's strong propaganda line works against the ruling party's founder, Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili," he said. "Although we have heard accusations for years that he is pro-Russian, no one has presented a shred of evidence to confirm this."
He went on to compare the campaign to "Goebbels-style propaganda," referencing Nazi Germany's propaganda chief.
"An enemy icon is created first, and then opponents are accused of ties to it. Such propaganda needs no facts - what matters is that the message is total and repeated by as many agents as possible."
Kobakhidze thanked Gabbard for "exposing the deep state" and said public awareness of these methods is crucial.
"The public must be fully informed about the methods used by the oligarchy's informal governance to discredit political opponents," he said. "A society shielded by truth is the strongest guarantee of a state's resilience."
