Russia plays games with Georgia

SEVEN YEARS ago an oligarch’s dream came true. Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy Georgian tycoon who made his money in Russia, staged a takeover of his native country. Mikheil Saakashvili, a pro-Western moderniser who had once enjoyed Mr Ivanishvili’s support, was forced out of power and from the country. Mr Ivanishvili’s winning coalition, known as Georgian Dream, claimed that democracy had prevailed over Mr Saakashvili, who was denounced as authoritarian at home and reckless abroad. Many Georgians breathed a sigh of relief as Mr Ivanishvili demonised his predecessor, whose methods often struck fear into the populace, and promised to normalise relations with Russia, which Mr Saakashvili had infuriated.

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, seemed pleased. In 2008 he had attacked Georgia to stop it integrating with the West and promised to hang Mr Saakashvili “by the balls” for responding militarily to Russia’s provocations. Though Mr Ivanishvili publicly reaffirmed Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, his actions signalled a tilt back towards Russia. Recently he has tried to undermine a plan to build a deepwater port at Anaklia, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, a strategic project backed by America and the EU. The Kremlin has rewarded him by toning down its propaganda and reopening its market to Georgian produce.