The US suspended aid due to the Georgian government's "anti-democratic behavior" and "false statements" regarding the West and Washington.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement criticizing the Georgian government's recent actions and remarks, stating that they "do not comply with the norms of EU and NATO membership." This statement was released just hours before the controversial "foreign agents" law was enacted.

Starting August 1, organizations that receive over 20% of their income from foreign sources must apply to the House of Justice within 30 days to register in the foreign agents database. Organizations that fail to comply with this law will face significant fines and will be required to register with the government.

"On May 23, in response to the Georgian government's anti-democratic actions, I announced a comprehensive review of the bilateral cooperation between the United States and Georgia. As a result of this review, the United States is suspending over $95 million in aid directly to the government of Georgia," wrote Anthony Blinken.

"Over 32 years, the friendship between our nations has led to more than 6.2 billion dollars from the United States to support the growth of Georgia's economy and its democratic institutions," said Blinken.

The statement emphasized that the United States will continue to support initiatives that promote democracy, uphold the rule of law, foster independent media, and encourage economic development. It also affirmed the country's commitment to the Georgian people and their aspirations for integration into the Euro-Atlantic community.

In early July, the US Department of Defense announced the indefinite suspension of the annual Noble Partner military exercise as part of a comprehensive review of US-Georgia bilateral relations.

When the United States made this decision, it pointed to the Georgian government's "groundless accusations against the United States and other Western institutions." In response, the ruling "Georgian Dream" party and its allies claimed that the West pressured them to open a second front against Russia to ease the pressure on Ukraine. They also stated that there had been two attempted coups against the ruling party.

On July 8, the European Union (EU) suspended 30 million euros (approximately $32 million) in military aid to Georgia due to the adoption of foreign agent law and ongoing pressure on human rights.
 

"Disastrous Consequences"

Georgian officials rejected Blinken's criticism. In a statement to journalists on Thursday, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Levan Davitashvili asserted that Georgia has not "unambiguously" strayed from its path toward integration into the Euro-Atlantic space. He also mentioned that he was not informed about the purpose of the $95 million funding.

"I cannot provide any concrete information about this aid; I don't know the details of the conversation," said Davitashvili.

"For us, maintaining a rapprochement and partnership with the West is more important than ever. Therefore, we greatly value close cooperation with the United States," Davitashvili emphasized.

Ruling party MP Beka Davituliani suggested that this situation was intended to escalate unrest ahead of the parliamentary elections in October.

"The $95 million in aid to the state of Georgia has now been halted, but I assure you there will be more before the election. Tensions will rise as we approach the elections," Davituliani stated.

According to MP Gia Caparidze from the United National Movement Party, opposition politicians have declared that the ruling "Georgian Dream" party is responsible for the "disastrous results" currently facing the country and warned that there will be further repercussions.

Roman Gotsiridze, head of the opposition "Eurooptimists" parliamentary group, stated that the suspension of aid from countries and organizations, including the European Union, Germany, Denmark, and the United States, is already resembling a domino effect.

"The entire democratic world will cease financial relations with Georgia," Gotsiridze warned. "This will have catastrophic consequences, leading to Georgia's continued isolation from international financial organizations, which are crucial sources of infrastructure funding, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund."

He added, "This will result in unemployment, a population exodus, rising prices, and an economic collapse."

Following the government's passing of the law on foreign agents on May 28, after months of intense protests and criticism, state officials began to assert that "global warmongers" aimed to destabilize Georgia and draw the country into a conflict with Russia.

Officials claimed that a secret organization controls the West and creates conditions for war worldwide, linking the United States with certain groups.

The judge did not disclose the names of those labeled as "supporters of global war" and their allies within the "Georgian Dream" party. While stating that they did not refer to the USA or Europe, government officials claimed that these interests hold significant influence over both regions.

This article is published in collaboration with OC Media. The original text in English is available here.