Kremlin-Inspired Law Will 'Undermine' U.S.-Georgia Relationship, State Dept Warns

The United States on Monday once again warned Georgia that it’s risking relations with the U.S. and the European Union by pressing ahead with a “foreign agent” law that has sparked massive protests, TURAN’s Washington correspondent reports.

“We are going to keep pressing our case, which is we believe that the law that they are considering would put Georgia on a precarious trajectory. It would jeopardize Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic path and undermine the U.S.-Georgia relationship, and we will continue to make that clear, and they will make their own decisions,” State Department’s Spokesperson Matthew Miller told a daily briefing when responding to TURAN’s questions.

The ruling Georgian Dream party’s attempts to push Kremlin-inspired legislation and anti-Western rhetoric has also prompted calls for sanctions among the Georgian-American community as they held a protest in front of the State Department over the weekend.

When asked whether the Biden administration had been considering any measure against Georgia’s pro-Russian rulers, Miller said: “I’m just not going to make any sanctions announcements, whether that relates to what we might do or what we are considering, as is typically our practice here.”

Last week, a bipartisan group of 14 U.S. senators sent a letter to Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze warning him that if the legislation becomes law, they would be compelled to encourage a shift in U.S. policy toward Georgia and push for cutting off direct government funding and expanding visa restrictions.