Mikheil Saakashvili, the governor of Odessa, faces arrest if he sets foot in Georgia

Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia, has announced plans to return from exile in Ukraine and lead his party as his homeland prepares for elections in October.

“Let there be no doubt – and it should not be perceived as a threat – I intend to return to Georgia and actively participate in the process,” he said during a live broadcast on Georgia’s Rustavi-2 channel.

The news came as a shock in Ukraine, where Mr Saakashvili is governor of the Odessa region. Since his appointment last year, he has become a figurehead for Ukrainian reform efforts and had been slated to lead a new political party being formed by anti-corruption campaigners.

Georgians were also stunned by the announcement. After his party’s electoral defeat in