In Georgia, some voters balanced EU hopes with the fear of war with Russia

FILE - A young man holds an EU flag as he attends an opposition protest against the results of the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Oct. 28, 2024.

For some Georgians who supported the ruling Georgian Dream party in Saturday's disputed parliamentary election, the aspiration to go West toward the European Union had to be balanced by the brutal reality of the need to keep the peace with Russia.