23
November 2022
Past Event
Countering Russian Influence in Georgia

Countering Russian Influence in Georgia

Past Event
Online Only
November 23, 2022
Ukraine georgia
Caption
Demonstrators hold placards and wave flags during a rally in support of Ukraine in Tbilisi, Georgia, on March 1, 2022. (Vano Shlamov/AFP via Getty Images)
23
November 2022
Past Event
Speakers:
Khatia Dekanoidze

Member of the Parliament of Georgia

Eka Gigauri

Executive Director, Transparency International Georgia

Joshua Rudolph

Senior Fellow for Malign Finance, Alliance for Securing Democracy, German Marshall Fund

Olena Halushka

Board Member, Anti-Corruption Action Center and Co-founder, International Center for Ukrainian Victory

Moderator:
nate_sibley
Nate Sibley

Former Fellow and Director, Kleptocracy Initiative

In 2008, Russia invaded and illegally occupied one-fifth of the Republic of Georgia. Now Moscow’s authoritarian influence again threatens the country.

Georgia’s wealthiest oligarch, Bidzina Ivanishvili, made his fortune in Russia and reportedly maintains business interests there. Meanwhile, anti-Western elements have sought to influence Georgia’s state institutions and civil society in recent years, and relations with the United States and European Union have become increasingly strained.

Russian influence within Georgia has significant implications for Ukraine’s fight for freedom. Tbilisi’s stance toward Kyiv has been lukewarm despite strong public support for helping Ukraine. Georgia’s strategic location and economic dependence on Russia raise concerns that it could become a hub for sanctions evasion. And the recent influx of Russian émigrés has prompted fears that the Kremlin could use their presence as a pretext for further interference or aggression.

Please join leading Georgian and US experts at Hudson Institute for a discussion on countering Russia’s influence in Georgia.

Related Events
19
May 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Environmental Agendas, Geopolitical Ends: Climate Policy and Great Power Competition
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Zineb Riboua
Brenda Shaffer
Sam Cooper
Getty Images
19
May 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Environmental Agendas, Geopolitical Ends: Climate Policy and Great Power Competition

To examine this emerging challenge, Senior Fellow Dr. Michael Doran will convene a conversation with Research Fellow Zineb Riboua, Professor Brenda Shaffer—Research Faculty Member at the US Naval Postgraduate School and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council—and Sam Cooper, an award-winning investigative journalist focusing on China-Canada relations.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Zineb Riboua
Brenda Shaffer
Sam Cooper
20
May 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
A Conversation with Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy of the United States Sarah B. Rogers
Featured Speakers:
Sarah B. Rogers
Zineb Riboua
Eric Schmitt
Michael Doran
Getty Images
20
May 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
A Conversation with Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy of the United States Sarah B. Rogers

Please join the Hudson Institute for a conversation with Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers and Hudson Research Fellow Zineb Riboua on how the United States is adapting its public diplomacy tools to advance its interests abroad, counter censorship, promote free speech, and leverage artificial intelligence to deliver more effective, targeted messaging.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Sarah B. Rogers
Zineb Riboua
Eric Schmitt
Michael Doran
21
May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Georgia at a Geopolitical Crossroads: Iranian Influence and Strategic Competition
Featured Speakers:
Luke Coffey
Giorgi Kandelaki
John P. Walters
Congressman Joe Wilson
Ian McGinnity
Moderator:
Matthew Boyse
Tbilisi residents protest after the Georgian Dream government announced a suspension of negotiations on EU candidate status until 2028, as police detain demonstrators during a crackdown in the capital on November 28, 2025. (Photo by Sebastien Canaud/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
21
May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Georgia at a Geopolitical Crossroads: Iranian Influence and Strategic Competition
Tbilisi residents protest after the Georgian Dream government announced a suspension of negotiations on EU candidate status until 2028, as police detain demonstrators during a crackdown in the capital on November 28, 2025. (Photo by Sebastien Canaud/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Luke Coffey
Giorgi Kandelaki
John P. Walters
Congressman Joe Wilson
Ian McGinnity
Moderator:
Matthew Boyse
22
May 2026
Virtual Event | Online Only
The Western Hemisphere’s Energy Moment
Featured Speakers:
Daniel Batlle
Francisco Monaldi
Getty Images
22
May 2026
Virtual Event | Online Only
The Western Hemisphere’s Energy Moment

Join Hudson Institute as Adjunct Fellow Daniel Batlle interviews Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and one of the foremost authorities on energy and political economy in the region, for a wide-ranging conversation on Latin America's energy future and what it means for the hemisphere and for US interests.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Daniel Batlle
Francisco Monaldi