Georgia’s president asked the West on Monday to back opposition protests against the official results of a weekend parliamentary election, in which the ruling party was declared winner despite voting irregularities and claims of Russian interference. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who refused to accept the official results, told The Associated Press in an interview that the South Caucasus country had succumbed to Russian pressure aimed at derailing its plans to join the EU. “We’ve seen that Russian propaganda was directly used,” claimed Zourabichvili, a vocal opponent of the ruling party. She claimed Georgia’s leadership was “working hand-in-hand with Russia” and most likely received assistance from Russian security services.

On Sunday, Zourabichvili stood alongside opposition leaders and asked Georgians to attend a rally on Tbilisi’s main street on Monday night to protest what she called a “total falsification, a total stealing of your votes.” She told the Associated Press that she expects the United States and the EU to support the protests. “We need to have the firm support of our European partners, of our American partners,” Zourabichvili pointed out. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on social media platform X that “the Georgian people embraced democracy yesterday” and urged Georgia’s political leaders to “respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, address deficiencies in the electoral process, and move Georgia towards its Euro-Atlantic future.”

Initial data indicated that voter turnout was the highest since Georgian Dream was initially elected in 2012. The party has pledged to pursue the EU accession process but simultaneously “reset” relations with Georgia’s old imperial ruler, Russia. Georgia fought and lost a brief war with Russia in 2008, after which the latter recognised the independence of two separatist Georgian provinces and increased its military presence there. The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, encouraged Georgian officials to “swiftly, transparently, and independently investigate” the voting irregularities, as well as the ruling party to demonstrate its “firm commitment” to the EU. Hungary’s Victor Orbán was the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream, and he will be the first to visit Georgia and meet the prime minister.