Giorgi Gabunia, a presenter on the main commercial TV channel in Georgia, used offensive language in a Russian-language message to Vladimir Putin on Sunday. He went on to insult Mr Putin’s mother.
Rustavi 2 has apologised for his outburst.
The Kremlin has now condemned the tirade against the Russian president. Mr Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “we consider these insults totally unacceptable”.
Georgia’s prime minister, Mamuka Bakhtadze, deplored Gabunia’s outburst, saying “this is a war by provocateurs against their country, a dirty and disgusting game with the security of the state and citizens”.