He was provided safe haven in the Ukraine where President Poroshenko offered him citizenship to protect him from extradition to Georgia.

Saakashvili, in response to his being stripped of citizenship, replied: "I have only one citizenship, that of Ukraine, and I will not be deprived of it! He even recruited Georgians who had served in his government back home to join him in Odessa. Shortly after the election, Saakashvili left Georgia. [162], Saakashvili was portrayed by Cuban-American Hollywood actor Andy García in the 2010 Hollywood film 5 Days of War by Finnish-American film director Renny Harlin. In particular, water and power infrastructure was improved to the point where it functioned effectively, schools and hospitals were renovated, more roads were laid, and new housing developments were built.[36][37][38][39][40][41]. On Tuesday, Georgia was mentioned in a U.S. Justice Department indictment against six members of the Russian military intelligence unit the GRU for alleged high-profile cyberattacks around the world. [137], In May 2019, Ukraine's new President Volodymyr Zelensky restored Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship. In 2010, he had a 67% approval rating[11] despite being criticized by the opposition for his alleged authoritarian tendencies and electoral fraud. According to the police, Saakashvili's assassination had also been plotted. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mikheil_Saakashvili&oldid=984399177, 21st-century politicians from Georgia (country), Democracy activists from Georgia (country), Expatriates from Georgia (country) in the Netherlands, George Washington University Law School alumni, Pro-Ukrainian people of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, Recipients of the Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, Recipients of the Order of the Republic (Serbia), Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv alumni, United National Movement (Georgia) politicians, Heads of government who were later imprisoned, Articles with Ukrainian-language sources (uk), Articles with dead external links from January 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from June 2015, Articles with dead external links from June 2017, Articles with dead external links from September 2015, Articles with dead external links from September 2017, Articles with Russian-language sources (ru), Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Georgian-language text, Articles containing Ukrainian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2017, Articles with disputed statements from September 2008, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2008, Articles needing additional references from January 2020, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2008, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 October 2020, at 22:16. Georgia has spearheaded Western orientation and democratic reforms in what was formerly Soviet space.

They criticized his "risky moves", moves that have often "caught the U.S. unprepared" while leaving it "exposed diplomatically". Agenda.ge, Agenda.ge, 16 Oct 2020 - 13:16, Tbilisi,Georgia, Ex-president of Georgia Saakashvili: ‘I see myself as head of interim gov’t of Georgia’, Ex-President, Ukrainian citizen Saakashvili says ‘only one party-UNM will win elections’, ‘I’m involved in selection of candidates’, European Georgia ‘declares war’ against Saakashvili, compares him with GoT character Cersei Lannister. Almost zero acquittal cases in criminal trials, mass surveillance, telephone tapping, and a lot of pressure put on businessmen, including intimidation, so they contribute to government projects. ", "Former Georgian President Saakashvili leaves Poland – media", "Saakashvili claims Ukrainian foreign minister has Russian citizenship", Saakashvili Says He Plans To Return To Ukraine Next Month, Saakashvili planning to return to Ukraine next month, "Saakashvili, supporters push past border guards, force entry into Ukraine", "Former governor Mikheil Saakashvili forces entry to Ukraine", "Saakashvili Says Hopes To Reenter Politics, Unite Opposition in Ukraine", "UPDATES: Poroshenko brands Saakashvili criminal for breaking through border – Sep. 11, 2017", "Статья 331. He faced major problems, however, particularly Georgia's difficult economic situation and the still unresolved question of separatism in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. [16] Saakashvili stated on 1 June 2015 that he had now changed his mind to avoid "guaranteed imprisonment" in Georgia and to defend Georgian interest through his governorship in Odessa.