ISTANBUL

Ukraine on Monday rejected accusations made by top Georgian officials, including the premier, that Kyiv is preparing a coup in the country.

“Almost verbatim repeating the thesis of Russian propaganda, representatives of the Georgian authorities accused Ukraine of preparing a coup d'etat in Georgia, drawing it into a war with Russia, and sending forces to incite a civil war,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said in a statement on Facebook.

Nikolenko said Ukraine “categorically rejects such insinuations, which have nothing to do with reality,” noting that the statements made “will not be able to shake the strong relations of friendship between the Ukrainian and Georgian peoples.”

“We highly appreciate the support of Georgians at a time when Ukrainians are fighting for their independence. For its part, Ukraine has been and will remain a friend of the Georgian people, whom we wish not to stop in building the European future,” Nikolenko further said.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday described protests last week in the capital Tbilisi over a controversial bill on "foreign agents" as "a provocation” against the country, while also slamming Ukraine’s support for the demonstrations.

Georgian lawmakers on Friday voted down the draft bill on "Transparency of Foreign Influence" in a second reading after mass protests were triggered by the proposed legislation.