Poland`s policy towards Georgia has reached a dead end in recent years, writes DOBITNIE.

"From a country that was one of Tbilisi`s most important advocates in Europe just a dozen or so years ago, Warsaw is increasingly becoming a harsh critic, repeating narrative coming from Brussels and Berlin. Problem is that this narrative – based on simplifications, moral shortcuts – is increasingly inadequate in describing the reality in South Caucasus and increasingly damaging to Polish strategic interests. Should Poland choose chestnuts from fire for European powers?

In 2008, Georgia was a symbol. The war with Russia and Lech Kaczyński`s speech in Tbilisi were etched in Georgians` memories as a moment of real support, not diplomatic courtesy. Back then, Poland was a country that understood Russian imperialism - not from reports, but from its own historical experience. Today, this capital of trust still exists in Georgian society, but will it be possible to avoid squandering it?

After 2022, the Polish debate on Georgia has been dominated by a binary narrative: either full identification with the liberal opposition in Tbilisi or accusations of "pro-Russianism". This logic leaves no room for nuance, the security context, or the realities of a border state that still has Russian troops on its territory. Incidentally, accusing the current Georgian government of warming to Putin is as close to reality as the drivel about the "pro-Russian" Law and Justice (PiS) and Confederation parties.

"The Putinization of Georgia" – a journalistic thesis instead of analysis

The notion that Georgia is becoming a "Putin ally" is becoming increasingly common in public discourse. This claim is widely circulated in the media, but it lacks a solid factual basis. Georgia has not maintained diplomatic relations with Russia since 2008, recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia as occupied territories, has voted in favor of UN resolutions condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine, and is not a member of any Russian integration structures.

An ally of Russia is a country that makes its territory available for war, synchronizes its foreign policy with the Kremlin, and participates in Russian military projects. Georgia is not such a country. Caution towards Moscow doesn`t mean loyalty - it means awareness of one`s own limitations. Just look at a map to see where Moscow is and where Brussels is.

EU and Germany: selective support, not neutral --- The key problem with the West`s current policy towards Georgia is its selective nature. The European Union officially declares support for "pluralism" and "civil society", but in practice, a vast portion of its funding goes to very specific groups: liberal-left NGOs, watchdogs, and media outlets openly at odds with the Georgian Dream government. These aren`t transfers to political parties, of course, but rather funds that build the narrative, expert, and personnel base of a single political camp. German party foundations, including the Heinrich Böll Foundation, operate in Georgia not as neutral observers but as elements of ideological soft power, linked to specific political currents in Berlin. No major EU program demonstrates symmetrical support for conservative, center-right, or traditional groups. "Pluralism" ends where ideology begins.

This policy is producing the opposite of its intended effects. For some Georgian society, "Europeanness" is beginning to be perceived not as a community project, but as a tool for pressure and interference in internal political disputes. In the long term, this weakens support for EU integration - paradoxically, in a country that still has some of the highest support for the West in the region. Left-liberal EU leadership, consciously or not, is giving Putin a huge propaganda gift. They are demonstrating that, for them, Georgian sovereignty should have specific (preferably rainbow) colors. Russia doesn’t even need to intervene then – it`s enough for the West to take offense. Because the wrong party is in power.

By the way, Brussels`s pharisaical moral outrage over the Georgian Dream doesn`t hold water when confronted with the attitude of the EU`s "golden pheasants" regarding this year`s presidential elections in Romania. Recall that the elections were invalidated because the winner was a candidate outside the EU`s agenda. They were re-run, and then - to Brussels` satisfaction - the rightful and compliant candidate won. Can such a group claim the right to judge who has a democratic mandate and who doesn`t?

Voices in Poland: Not Just One Line --- By thoughtlessly repeating this narrative, Poland is abandoning its own agency. Instead of being a partner and intermediary, it is becoming one of many moralizing commentators, losing the influence it has built over the years. It comments but does not act.

Fortunately, our debate includes more balanced voices. Some politicians associated with the Law and Justice party (PiS) and the Confederation (Konfederacja) party (Confederation) point out that isolating Georgia and reducing it to the role of a "problem" is a strategic mistake. They emphasized that the West has made similar mistakes before – blocking Georgia`s aspirations in NATO and the EU, which only widened Russia`s room for maneuver. At the other extreme, statements from politicians in the current ruling coalition often explicitly equate the street protests in Tbilisi with the "will of the people" and the government with authoritarianism and pro-Russian sentiment. This is an effective narrative, but a simplified one – and one that poorly explains the complexity of the Georgian political scene.

Sober judgment urgently needed --- Poland doesn`t have to support the Georgian government, but it shouldn`t demonize it. Warming relations doesn`t mean accepting every decision Tbilisi makes - it means conversation, presence, and influence . Countries that forgo dialogue in the name of moral purity often cede the floor to other players, including Russia.

Poland`s eastern policy was once - or at least was supposed to be - based on realism and the ability to think long-term. Today, it too often resembles the logic of social media: fast-paced, emotional, and binary. Georgia isn`t a perfect country. But it`s not an enemy, nor is it a Russian satellite. And countries that begin to treat potential partners as morally tainted supplicants usually end up with one less ally - and one more problem.