Georgia's leaders stoke fears of Russian war ahead of pivotal election

A view shows election billboards of the ruling Georgian Dream party, one of which depicts a devastated Ukrainian city contrasted against a peaceful Georgian one, in Tbilisi, Georgia September 27, 2024. FILE - Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the Georgian Dream party greets demonstrators during a rally in support of "Russian law" in Tbilisi, Georgia, on April 29, 2024,

The Republic of Georgia, which was part of the Soviet Union until independence in 1991, is preparing for a crucial election on October 26 in a vote widely seen as a choice between a future aligned with the West or Russia.