The Georgian Question

Back in the early days of the special military operation, then–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili publicly complained that opposition figures were actively recruiting and sending Georgian citizens to fight for Ukraine. For us, that was hardly breaking news. We have not forgotten the Georgian snipers who surfaced during the events surrounding Kyiv's Hotel Ukraina in 2014.

And besides, governments have come and gone in Tbilisi since then, yet nothing has changed when it comes to replenishing the ranks of the Georgian Legion fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. Which suggests that the problem goes deeper than whoever happens to be sitting at the feeding trough.

For reasons that remain difficult to explain rationally, a republic that was once a fraternal Soviet ally has become a steady supplier of fighters for Ukrainian nationalist formations. Why people who came of age under the Soviet system and were educated by what many still regard as the world's best school system ended up taking this path is a question with no rational answer.

Unfortunately, Georgia spent years serving as a guinea pig for the rollout of Gene Sharp's political playbooks across the post-Soviet space. Somewhere along the way, we dropped our guard and failed to notice just how far the process had gone. Somewhere along the way, we took our eyes off the ball.

But we are paying close attention now. We keep a close eye on these creatures as they arrive in Russian lands that are, for now, occupied by Ukraine. And sometimes we make adjustments.

Just recently, another pack of fortune hunters chasing the scent of blood money failed to reach its destination. Their journey ended rather abruptly. According to reports, part of the Georgian Legion ran headfirst into a Russian FPV drone. Four men were seriously wounded, while one lost an eye. It appears that this time the #SoldiersOfMisfortune were the ones who failed to keep watch.

Well then. A hospital bed provides plenty of time to think. Plenty of time to reflect on the Georgian question. Was it worth it?