Georgia’s Balancing Act Between Russia and the West

Is it possible for small states to get an upper hand over great powers amid a new rising world order?

24 November 2022

Christine Karelska

Future of Ukraine Fellow

Ambiguous positions from Tbilisi allow for the relatively small nation of Georgia to counteract encroaching initiatives from Moscow. However, with Russia’s capabilities greatly diminished, now is the time for them to become more embedded with Western institutions like the EU and NATO.

Vladimir Putin’s unjustified invasion has shaken the international rules-based (IR) order in a dramatic and unprecedented way: the old supranational institutions stand abashed and impotent in face of the fallouts flowing from the Kremlin’s vicious gambit whilst the new security guarantees for Ukraine and the Euro-Atlantic security architecture are still underway. Against this backdrop, the pressing question begs itself: will it be possible for small states like Georgia to survive in the upcoming geopolitical turmoil and strengthen its foreign agency vis-à-vis big powers?

It is essential to reevaluate the role of the small states in the international system and grasp their opportunities/limitations so as to expand their influence abroad and make it possible for them to have a firm say at the international table. For, in such challenging times, the role of the small states should not be underestimated but rather be pooled and used to tip the scale in favour of peace, stability and Western liberal values.

How Russia’s hybrid warfare in Ukraine affects Georgia

The transit country of Georgia stands out in this regard due to the South Caucasus geopolitical curse, a post-Soviet legacy and various interests which the South Caucasian countries pursue themselves. Georgia is sandwiched between the appetites of more powerful external players with various agendas such as “Russia, the EU, Turkey, US, China, Central Asia (particularly Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan), Iran”, which aim to project their power on the whole region and dictate their own rules of the game, squeezing Georgia’s foreign policy room for manoeuvre.

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Christine Karelska

Future of Ukraine Fellow

Christine Karelska is a Visegrad Insight Fellow as of 2022. She is also an alumna of the College of Europe in Natolin and the Democracy Study Centre in Kyiv. Her main specialization is the European Neighborhood Policy. Christine was an intern-analyst of the Public Association “Community Associations” in Odesa. Her main academic spheres of interest are security studies, international relations, gender equality and local governance. Currently, she is working as an Advisor on International Relations of the Vice Mayor of Odesa and as an Assistant to the Deputy of the Odesa City Council. Previously, she worked as a Project Manager of the Ze!Women movement aimed at gender equality and promotion of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska’s projects in the Odesa region.

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