Georgia-Russia Relations: Tensions Rise Amid Visa and Flight Ban Lift.

Ukraine sees Russia's decision to cancel visas for Georgian citizens and restore air travel as political compensation for Georgia's refusal to impose sanctions on Russia and slow down European integration. Ukraine warns that Georgia's normalization of relations with Moscow is taking place against the background of Russian occupation of 20% of Georgian territory, creeping "borderization," abductions of Georgian citizens, gross violation of human rights and freedoms in the occupied territories, and an ongoing inflow of Russian nationals into Georgia. Ukraine calls on the Georgian government to synchronize its policy toward Russia with that of the EU and refrain from actions that reject Georgia's further movement toward Europe.