Georgia has declared Russia's failure to hold talks on Abkhazia and South Ossetia

According to a statement from the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 65th round of the Geneva International Discussions, held on November 11-12, was disrupted by the Russian side. The Georgian delegation focused on Moscow's fulfillment of its obligations under the August 12, 2008, ceasefire agreement, as well as on ensuring the safe return of internally displaced persons and refugees to the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Tbilisi considers to be under Russian occupation.

Georgia also expressed concern about the deteriorating security situation, humanitarian conditions, and human rights violations in these territories. The reopening of Sukhumi Airport and the launch of transport links between Russia and Sukhumi were also cited as a separate issue, as Tbilisi believes these are contrary to international law.

"As before, representatives of Russia and the occupation regime it controls walked out of the negotiating table during the discussion of the core issue—the return of internally displaced persons and refugees to their homes. As a result, as before, the 65th round of negotiations ended without results," the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze expressed skepticism about the prospects for restoring diplomatic relations with Russia. He cited the ongoing occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which he considers historical regions of Georgia, as the main obstacle. Kobakhidze emphasized that Russia's recognition of the independence of these territories after the 2008 war violates international law and infringes on Georgia's sovereignty. He also stated that Tbilisi is committed to exclusively peaceful means of restoring territorial integrity, ruling out the use of force.

Последние новости
A former State Duma deputy from Dagestan is being sued for 10 billion rubles in property
Society
A former State Duma deputy from Dagestan is being sued for 10 billion rubles in property
26 February 2026

The Prosecutor General's Office has filed a 10 billion ruble lawsuit against former State Duma deputy from Dagestan, Rizvangadzhi Isayev. He is the brother of former Deputy Prime Minister of Dagestan Shamil Isayev, who was convicted of contracting the murder of journalist Gadzhimurad Kamalov.

Russian authorities want to impose fines for wearing the niqab
Human rights
Russian authorities want to impose fines for wearing the niqab
25 February 2026

Deputies have introduced a bill in the State Duma banning the wearing of niqabs and any other clothing that covers the face. Examples cited include the ban on wearing such clothing in Central Asian countries.

Georgia again rejected calls to join anti-Russian sanctions
Politics
Georgia again rejected calls to join anti-Russian sanctions
25 February 2026

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze criticized Brussels' demands to join sanctions against Russia. He said these calls were inappropriate, given that the EU itself is a major importer of Russian products.

Ruben Vardanyan Drops Appeal Against 20-Year Sentence in Azerbaijan
Human rights
Ruben Vardanyan Drops Appeal Against 20-Year Sentence in Azerbaijan
25 February 2026

Billionaire and former Nagorno-Karabakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan, sentenced in Baku to 20 years in prison, rejected the legal force of the ruling and dropped his appeal. His family explained that this decision stemmed from the fact that, in their view, the trial was a "staged performance" rather than a proper trial: the hearings were held behind closed doors, without access to independent observers, and the prosecution's motions were ignored. The full text of the verdict was also not released.