Dynamics and Structure of Georgia‘s Trade with The Russian Federation Before and After the full-scale Russian Invasion in Ukraine

Despite the moral, humanitarian and political support to Ukraine at the international level, Georgia did not introduce individual sanctions against the Russian Federation, the imposition of which, in the opinion of the Georgian government, considering retaliatory sanctions, would have dealt a major blow to Georgia's pandemic-weakened economy. Against this background, some individuals accused Georgia of helping to evade international sanctions; in particular, it was noted, without providing proper evidence, that sanctioned goods were entering the Russian Federation from Georgia. This accusation has attracted the attention of the international media and political circles, and poses serious reputational risks to Georgia. Therefore, it is important to establish the truth on this issue through fact-based research. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (Rondeli Foundation) present a study based on available statistical data which aims at answering the question whether Georgia's trade with the Russian Federation is used to evade international sanctions.

Merab Kakulia, Nodar Kapanadze

Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

Tbilisi, 2023