Today some people are judging us that we are exchanging freedom for peace, but we are not. There is just a time when you have to fight and there is a time when you have to prepare for this fight” - Major General Koba Kobaladze, Director of the State Service of Veteran Affairs, stated about it in a Radio Program “Dghis Arkhi” at “Imedi” Radio Station.

“The worst thing about it is that we are holding on to iron of other people and aren’t able to see our own gold. When we are talking about Abkhazia, we remember that the hostilities lasted 13 months and 13 days. In fact, we did not lose a single fight, but, somehow, we got a picture of what we got. The elements of self-sacrifice were enormous. There was no information support, no intelligence sharing, no support from the international community, not saying a word about the absence of ammunition and fight equipment. We were all alone and doomed to keep our country free. In fact, we had no prospects. There was only one thing we could do to make our enemy’s life difficult.

Even though the ideology was much weaker than it is today in Ukraine, despite the lack of ammunition, each of us yielded some results. We have far stronger internal spirit and longing for freedom. Today some people are judging us that we are exchanging freedom for peace, but we are not. There is just a time when you have to fight and there is a time when you have to prepare for this fight...

Let me recall an episode that took place in Gumista during the war of Abkhazia. A Ukrainian father and son were fighting along with us as volunteers. When his son died in the war, on the day of the funeral, he uttered the words at his son's body: “If we, today together with the whole world do not stop Russia here in Abkhazia, we will have to fight against them at the defense barriers in the Dnieper!” Unfortunately, his predication has come true.

Today, self-defense is increased based on the regional and territorial principle. This is happening due to the legislation requires us to do so. The new constitution is built on the principle of territorial self-defense. Today, there is synthesis between the law enforcement agencies, because the interaction of the armed forces has been raised to a much higher level, and the state's sense of adequate response to threats is much higher than it was before. Today, everyone, including those of us who are in the reserve, have a strong feeling of responsibility,” Kobaladze said.

Who would dare say that we refuse freedom, who would dare say either about me or about my comrades and worthy Georgians, that we are thinking only about luxury in exchange for freedom. It's ridiculous, if not satirical...but it's okay_ “The dogs may bark, but the caravan moves on”. No matter who whines and complains, we are not alone, we are responsible for the defense of our country. A person may not know how to shoot a gun, but he can bake a bread well, be a communications specialist, a good locksmith. It is not about being a patriot to rush and take a gun and go to fight. A successful shooter needs at least 14 items of security! Which shooter will take more ideological action than Ukrainian and Western propaganda takes against Russia. As a matter of fact, we are victims of indirect propaganda, when we talk and do not go beyond the shooting zone. But shooting a gun makes sense if it is ideologically and meaningfully justified. Sun Tzu once said: “A commander-in-chief who knows what war is, wins the battle without unsheathing his sword.”