JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘Get out’: Influx of Russians to Georgia stokes old enmities” – CNN
“… [T]he arrival of more than 100,000 Russians in [Georgia] since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine … has left Georgians uncertain whether to welcome them as friends or shun them as foes. … Despite gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, a potential European future [for Georgia] is still struggling to be born. Georgia’s stance towards Russia is decidedly mixed. The two countries have had no formal diplomatic relations since Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 – but Russians living and working here
enjoy lax visa requirements …. Since the war began, it is hard to find a street in Tbilisi that has not been painted with a Ukrainian flag. … [D]ifferent shades of blue and yellow are also visible: … the European Union flag. … 83% of [Georgians] approve joining the EU, according to a 2022 survey ….”