Big Little Numbers: The Numbers Don't Believe Lavrov's Tears June 30, 2026 In my first blog post , I examined the propaganda methods Russia uses against Georgia. In this second blog, I'll prove with numbers just how false the statements being spread by Lavrov, as well as by Kobakhidze, Papuashvili, and other Russian-aligned propagandists, are. Lavrov is shedding crocodile tears , claiming that the EU will destroy Georgian agriculture. Papuashvili is tearing his hair out too , insisting that EU membership will wreck the wine sector. All these statements share one common feature: they're never backed by numbers, or verifiable facts. Just fear — “destruction,” “collapse,” “the end.” I'm an economist by training, I've worked with statistics, and numbers make it easier for me to show the truth. Before we get to the numbers, let me say this: we don't want to be Russia's potbellied, wine-glass-toting cheerleaders — a country hanging entirely off a s...
