Radio Liberty: Saakashvili lobbies in Washington for arms to be sent to Ukraine
In this photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, Georgian former president Mikhail Saakashvili shows his certificate at a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo)
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Former Georgian President, who now heads Ukrainian Advisory International Reform Council, is meeting with US lawmakers and officials
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says he is meeting with U.S. lawmakers and officials in Washington to discuss “increasing legislative pressure” to provide weapons to Ukraine.
Saakashvili wrote in a February 25 post on his Facebook page that “never have so many [U.S.] lawmakers agreed to meet with me, even when I was president: 34 meetings in three days.”
Many prominent members of the US Congress have advocated providing arms to the Ukrainian government in its standoff with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine that Washington accuses Moscow of backing.
Saakashvili left Georgia after his presidency ended in November 2013 and is currently serving as an adviser to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Georgia has sought to have Ukraine extradite Saakashvili to face abuse of authority and other charges.
He and members of his former government say the charges against them are politically motivated.