Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the EU to put pressure on the Georgian government at a meeting of the European Council in Brussels. According to him, "the Russian-controlled mafia in Georgia is working to drag the country under Putin's influence and distract it from the European path," and the EU's task is to "put pressure on the pro-Russian Georgian government."

A bust of Joseph Stalin has appeared in the village of Nart in the Ardon district of North Ossetia. As noted by the chairman of the public movement "For Our Vladikavkaz" Kazbek Tautiev, the appearance of new monuments to the leader of the USSR is explained by the society's demand for an objective coverage of history.

EU Ambassador to Georgia Pavel Gerchinsky stated at a meeting with local media representatives that the country's European integration has stopped. According to him, Tbilisi-Brussels relations are at their lowest point due to a number of undemocratic decisions by the Georgian authorities. In particular, the diplomat noted the deplorable situation with freedom of the press.

The UK has imposed sanctions on five senior Georgian officials, including the Interior Minister, his assistant, and three police chiefs. The restrictions target, in particular, Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, head of the Special Tasks Department Zviad Kharazishvil, and Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Darakhvelidze. They were accused of "brutal suppression of the media and protesters." The measures include a travel ban to the UK and an asset freeze.

Russian President Vladimir Putin cited Chechnya and Tuva as an example to other regions, where the highest birth rate in the country is recorded. Answering a journalist's question during a direct line, the head of state said that these two regions do not need separate programs to stimulate the birth rate.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, made a nearly week-long trip to Moscow, where he held a number of meetings, including with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, there is no official confirmation of this meeting, writes Novaya Gazeta Evropa.

Relations between Moscow and Tbilisi are not being built in any way. Russia has not interfered and does not intend to interfere in any way in the events in Georgia. This was stated by the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov.

The mother of Chechen activists, Zarema Musayeva, was sent from a penal colony to a pretrial detention center until February 1, 2025. A second criminal case was opened against her - for disrupting the colony's activities.

The Magas City Court and the Supreme Court of Ingushetia have ruled that the Federal Penitentiary Service's decision to leave Zurab Didigov in Correctional Colony No. 6 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, two thousand kilometers from home, is illegal. He will be transferred to another colony, closer to his family.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili delivered a speech in the European Parliament. According to her, "Georgia has been, is and will be the West's conductor in the region, and the Russian Federation is trying to take over it."