On the poster of one of the protesters in Tbilisi, the inscription: “Putin is killing Ukrainians. who is next? This phrase reflects the concern of many people living in Russia's neighboring countries. Numerous statements and actions of Vladimir Putin give serious reasons to fear. For example, he has already called into question the sovereignty of Kazakhstan. On the territory of the country there is a Russian-speaking population, as well as owners of Russian passports, which Putin allegedly wants to “protect”.

This is stated in the article on the pages of the Tagesschau. When protests erupted in Kazakhstan last year, Putin showed a willingness to act by sending troops as part of the CSTO. Although earlier, the country-participant of the treaty, Armenia, was waiting in vain for such Russian help. Kyrgyzstan also did not receive the desired support during the protests in 2010. Thus, in these countries, the belief has changed that Russia uses agreements and organizations solely to achieve its goals..

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The publication recalls that during the war against Georgia in 2008, Russian troops occupied South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which allowed them to maintain military control over the entire country.. In 2013, Putin put pressure on Armenia hard, forcing its president, Serzh Sargsyan, to abandon an already prepared association agreement with the EU.. A few weeks later, he tried to do the same with Ukraine, which ignited protests at Independence Square..

Protests in Tbilisi.

Most governments in the region cautiously declined to criticize Russia's war against Ukraine. Evidence of this was the behavior of countries when voting in the UN General Assembly on a resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukrainian territory.. Belarus voted against the resolution, as did the Russian Federation. In turn, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan abstained.. Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan did not participate in the voting at all. Only Moldova and Georgia supported the resolution.

However, not everything is clear with the Georgian government.. Like Ukraine and Moldova, it applied for EU membership. But the ruling Georgian Dream party evades condemning Russia in a parliamentary resolution. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili rules out Georgia's participation in sanctions against Russia. In addition, Russian opposition leader and journalist Mikhail Fishman was repeatedly prevented from crossing the Georgian border without explanation..

All of this illustrates the potential for Russian pressure.. It consists not only of the deployment of troops in the occupied territories, but also of economic interdependence. Georgian companies from various fields: from telecommunications to water supply - in Russian hands. Russia remains an important market for Georgian food and wine.

Russian military presence as an instrument of pressure.

It was also problematic that neighboring Azerbaijan, the main supplier of gas to Georgia, concluded a strategic alliance with Russia shortly before the start of the war.. The agreement between Putin and President Ilham Aliyev also contains a statement that both sides will not engage in " This item was specifically added to limit the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Europe..

The reason for Azerbaijan's consent to this is noted in the very first paragraph of the agreement.. It refers to the recognition of territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of the parties. Since the end of 2020, Russian troops are also present in Azerbaijan. Calling themselves "

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For Armenians, Russian troops are a guarantee of survival in the conflict with Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey. Armenia's economic dependence on Russia also provides very little room for foreign policy maneuvers.. This explains why the democratic Armenian government voted against Russia's expulsion from the Council of Europe..

But for years, countries in the region have complained that they have been relegated to the role of pawns in the Russian chess game.. Therefore, Russian propaganda against the US and NATO does not sound convincing to everyone.. Therefore, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Armenia demonstrated solidarity with Ukraine. In Georgia, thousands of people gather to protest under the parliament building every day.. Help for Ukrainians is also collected.

Fear of Russian immigrants.

Georgia is also becoming a place of refuge for more and more people from Belarus, Ukraine and now Russia. The government in Tbilisi speaks of 20,000-25,000 Russian settlers, although it does not specify the period in which they arrived.. Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili tried to calm the public after opposition members warned of the danger of an influx of " You can often read on Facebook that Russian citizens are not welcome in Georgia. After all, no one wants " Former Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli accused Russians of running away instead of fighting Putin in Russia.

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A group of winemakers now refuses to sell wine in Russia, thus imposing their own sanctions. Georgian Bank Urges Russian Clients to Condemn Invasion of Ukraine.

Tension and uncertainty.

Thousands of people from Russia also come to Kazakhstan, Armenia, Turkey, using the remaining few flights. They have to face less hostility there than in Georgia.. But even in these countries, the arrogant and racist attitude of Russians towards guest workers from the Caucasus and Central Asia is well remembered, when they still went to work in construction in Russia..

The steep fall of the ruble has also been felt in Russia's neighbors, whose economies have already been hit by the pandemic.. The publication writes that this will lead to an aggravation of social tension in the region..

At the same time, while Putin is sending troops to the war in Ukraine en masse, expectations are growing that the Russian military presence in the region will weaken.. Military conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan are already on the rise, although no one has noticed it yet. From time to time there are also calls in Georgia to return the regions occupied by Russia to its control.. For the peoples in the region, accustomed to war and political upheaval, a new phase of massive tension and uncertainty is entering.. So even more people can think about emigration than in previous years..