Georgia said the plan would be illegal, while Abkhazian authorities tried to pre-empt criticism that it would deepen the territory’s dependence on Russia.
The Kremlin response has internationalized the crisis, which has already roiled Georgian politics over the ruling party’s perceived softness toward Russia.
An exchange of Armenian and Azerbaijani detainees could help build trust to make further progress in peace negotiations – but it could also exacerbate tensions.
The Armenian prime minister blamed “remnants of the corrupt system” for trying to use the exchange with his Russian counterpart to mock him on social media.
The prime minister has long had a confrontational attitude toward critical press. Now he has escalated the fight by involving the security services and arresting the operator of a satirical site.
