The de facto leader of the occupied Tskhinvali region, Alan Gagloev, accused the Georgian authorities of continuing to use international platforms to promote the "propaganda slogan of Russian occupation and 'occupied territories.'" According to him, instead of dialogue on genuine security and stability in the South Caucasus, Tbilisi supports "Georgia's blockade of South Ossetia and Abkhazia," enshrined in the Law on Occupied Territories adopted under President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Gagloev also stated that South Ossetia's sovereignty "is a fait accompli, and the international community has already become convinced of the stability of our statehood." He emphasized that Tskhinvali, along with Russia and Abkhazia, is defending its interests in the international arena and strengthening cooperation with other countries, despite attempts at isolation.
The leader of the occupied region paid special attention to the US position in the UN Security Council. "A telling sign was that in August, the United States, for the first time, refused to support an anti-Russian resolution on Georgia in the UN Security Council—something that had seemed impossible just recently. I am confident that the emergence of a multipolar world order, for which Russia and its allies are striving, will create additional conditions for expanding the number of states willing to cooperate with South Ossetia," he noted.
As a reminder, on August 18, 2025, several countries—the United Kingdom, France, Slovenia, Denmark, Greece, and Latvia—signed a statement condemning Russia's "illegal military presence" in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The document's authors drew parallels with the war in Ukraine and reaffirmed their commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity. However, the United States did not join this statement, marking the first such instance in 17 years.
Washington's refusal resonated. The Tbilisi opposition blamed the ruling Georgian Dream party for the developments, claiming that the government's anti-American rhetoric influenced the White House's decision. Experts also point out that since Donald Trump's return to the presidency, the US has repeatedly refrained from co-authoring harsh documents against Moscow.
Against this backdrop, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed the previously announced meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the de facto foreign ministers of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The event will take place on October 1.
