Vladimir Putin says he was "totally surprised" by the protests in Georgia. Dozens of Georgians protested last week when a Russian airliner landed in Tbilisi.
Russia fought a brief but bloody war in 2008 against Georgia and anti-Russian sentiment runs deep in that country. In response to protests against Moscow, Russia banned air links with Georgia in 2019. But, unexpectedly, Putin lifted the ban this month, giving the green light to a 90-day visa-free regime.