At Munich Security Conference, we heard clear messages from some Europeans that the war is not about Ukraine, but about Russia, writes the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament on the social network.

"They seem to be concerned not so much with Ukraine`s fate as with Russia`s defeat. However, a hypocritical main idea behind their fear-induced attitude is that Russia must be defeated not by them but by somebody else, and not on their own territory but elsewhere.

This is why the US Administration’s position on Ukraine caused consternation in some European political circles. Washington acknowledged that its primary goal is peace and the end to war and destruction. For better or worse, Russia’s defeat is not America’s main goal any more, if it ever was, and the United States Administration does not intend to provide towards this goal any longer, concentrating on delivering peace for Ukraine instead.

Former Lithuanian foreign minister Landsbergis, who speaks on behalf of a specific international network of politicians, could not contain his dismay. Paraphrasing Churchill, he `suggested` continuing the war and offered `blood, toil, tears and sweat` but, unlike Churchill, he offered those things elsewhere, not in his own country.

He also openly listed the countries he had in mind: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, `and beyond`. `We have done it before, and we can do it again`, said Landsbergis, without evidence that he ever did these things or is ready to repeat the feat.

Interestingly, under his watch, during the war in Ukraine, Lithuania became a lead exporter of wine to Russia, without producing the wine. No surprise, then, that he is ready to escalate.

The war in Ukraine seems to have posed a moral dilemma to some Europeans. They must be internally aware that calling for continuation of war, without taking any action or responsibility is immoral.

Irresponsible actors are danger to European security architecture. Above all, if someone offers ‘blood, toil, tears and sweat`, it should be theirs, not others`. NATO Article 5 does not preclude individual military actions of member states. If they feel like they can make difference in international security affairs, then they will be more than welcome on the battlefield by the Ukrainians.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Georgian government has been put under enormous pressure with a `suggestion` to escalate with Russia by sending volunteers to Ukraine and imposing bilateral sanctions on Russia, all without any semblance of security guarantees or even economic support from the outside. The pressure was magnified by local radical opposition parties and NGOs, with funding from USAID and NED, which has become scandalous in recent weeks. Had Georgian government succumbed to this `suggestive` pressure, our people would have had plenty of `blood, toil, tears and sweat` by now.

The negotiations by the third anniversary of the war should be about peace, not war, and led by responsible actors, not `Trittbrettfahrer`.

P.S. At the last meeting with Landsbergis and other Baltic colleagues, I told them that experience tells us their advice cannot be always taken as the ultimate truth. And I asked them if time had confirmed that Georgian government’s rejection of their earlier suggestion to non-NATO member Georgia to escalate with Russia by imposing bilateral sanctions, closing the sky, etc. was right and their suggestion was wrong. They responded with silence, which I took as a consent", - writes Shalva Papuashvili.