Ukraine deports Saakashvili to Poland

Ukrainian authorities deported former Georgian President and governor of Odessa Mikheil Saakashvili to Poland. “This person was on Ukrainian territory illegally and therefore, in compliance with all legal procedures, he was returned to the country from where he arrived,” border service spokesman Oleh Slobodyan said. Poland’s border service confirmed that he had arrived and that Warsaw had agreed to let him enter. Saakashvili was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship last year by President Petro Poroshenko with whom he had a falling out. Former Georgian president accused Poroshenko of corruption and joined the opposition. In return, Kiev accused him of assisting a criminal organization. Saakashvili is also wanted in native Georgia on embezzlement charges which he claims are politically motivated. He lost his Georgian passport automatically when he became Ukrainian citizen. After losing it as well, he is considered stateless by Ukrainian authorities. He was deported to Poland as it was his last known point of entry to Ukraine. Polish authorities said that he was admitted to Poland as the spouse of a European Union citizen. Saakashvili's wife is Dutch.