Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has blamed the 2008 Russo-Georgian War on the previous administration of former President Mikhail Saakashvili.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the 17th anniversary of the five-day conflict on Friday, Kobakhidze alleged the war was waged on behalf of the “deep state” and squarely faulted Saakashvili and his government. “Today we must recall all the documents signed by the then-government, which show that the Saakashvili regime started the war,” he said.
The remarks come as the ruling Georgian Dream Party seeks to maintain a neutral stance amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West. This approach has triggered protests from the pro-Western opposition. Washington has refused to recognize last year’s parliamentary election results or the election of Georgia’s new president, Mikheil Kavelashvili.
Saakashvili rose to power in early 2004 following the Rose Revolution of late 2003, which ousted President Eduard Shevardnadze. He quickly aligned Tbilisi with the West and secured an invitation to join NATO at the April 2008 Bucharest Summit, alongside Ukraine—prompting strong objections from Moscow.
In July 2008, then-U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Georgia. Many analysts believe she gave Saakashvili tacit encouragement to act against South Ossetia, implying U.S. support. On August 8, Georgian forces launched an offensive into the region, sparking the brief war that ended in Georgia’s defeat and Russia’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.
Although Saakashvili and Western governments initially claimed Russia fired the first shots, multiple independent inquiries—including an EU-led investigation—concluded that Georgian forces initiated the assault in an attempt to retake South Ossetia.
After leaving office in 2013, Saakashvili served as governor of Ukraine’s Odessa region before returning to Georgia in October 2021. Upon arrival, he urged supporters to rise against the government but was swiftly arrested on corruption charges. He remains in prison today.