Russia Signals Openness to Restoring Ties With Georgia
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow sees growing support in Georgia for restoring relations and is ready to move forward, but stressed that the decision depends on Georgia.
Speaking at a March 18 briefing, Zakharova responded to a question from Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, who claimed that many Georgians favor renewed ties with Russia.
"You are absolutely right that more and more citizens and politicians of Georgia support the restoration of relations with Russia," Zakharova said.
She blamed the breakdown in relations on what she described as external actors who "manipulated the situation" in the Caucasus and the wider post-Soviet space, accusing them of provoking conflicts and instability.
Zakharova said ties between the two countries were "severed," but insisted that this did not happen on Russia's initiative. At the same time, she noted that economic and humanitarian contacts have partially resumed in recent years, with what she described as tangible results.
"Relations have indeed been severed," she said. "This severance did not occur at the initiative of Russia."
She added that the Georgian Dream government has spoken about following the will of the public, and said Moscow would like to see concrete steps in that direction.
"We see how the current government declares its desire to be guided by the will of the Georgian people," Zakharova said. "Of course, it would be desirable to see concrete steps in this direction."
Zakharova emphasized that further progress depends on Tbilisi, signaling that Moscow is open to engagement but not leading the process.
"The ball is not in our court in this matter, but we are ready," she said.
