Zelenskyy meets Georgian PM sanctioned by Ukraine for the first time

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Armenia.

Zelenskyy said he met with Kobakhidze on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in the Armenian capital Yerevan.

"There are indeed unresolved issues between our states. It is important to have dialogue at all levels. Ukraine has always respected and continues to respect Georgia, its sovereignty and its people. We will continue our cooperation going forward," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Met with Prime Minister of Georgia @PM_Kobakhidze. There are indeed unresolved issues between our states. It is important to have dialogue at all levels.

Ukraine has always respected and continues to respect Georgia, its sovereignty, and its people.

We will continue our… pic.twitter.com/DGlGDX7lTn

– Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 4, 2026

Zelenskyy did not specify what he discussed with Kobakhidze and provided no further details.

The Georgian government has stated that the meeting was initiated by Ukraine.

In 2024, Kobakhidze and a number of other members of the Georgian ruling party came under 10-year sanctions from Ukraine.

Relations between Kyiv and Tbilisi have been extremely challenging in recent years, partly because of the ruling Georgian Dream party's position on the Russo-Ukrainian war and its repeated accusations concerning alleged plans to "turn Georgia into a second front".

Georgia had no Ukrainian ambassador for almost four years until Mykhailo Brodovych was appointed to the post in January 2026.