(Washington) The United States announced Wednesday that it was suspending more than $95 million in aid to Georgia because of “anti-democratic actions,” following the passage in May of controversial “foreign influence” legislation modeled on a repressive Russian law.
“The Georgian government’s undemocratic actions and false claims are incompatible with EU and NATO membership rules,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, referring to the Caucasus country’s ambitions to join these alliances.
Washington had ordered a review of its entire cooperation with Georgia in May after the Tbilisi parliament adopted the law, which sparked massive protests in the country.
The law requires any NGO or media outlet receiving more than 20% of its funding from abroad to register as an “organisation pursuing the interests of a foreign power” and submit to administrative control.
Critics have dubbed it the “Russian law” because of its similarity to legislation passed in Russia to crack down on opposition.
The United States had already announced sanctions targeting dozens of Georgian officials and the suspension of military maneuvers with Georgia planned for the end of July.
Although Georgia, a former Soviet republic, has officially been an EU candidate since December 2023, and the Georgian Dream formally supports the constitutionally enshrined goal of one day joining the EU and NATO, the party, in power since 2012, has multiplied measures that its detractors say are bringing the country closer to Moscow.
EU leaders decided in late June on a de facto “halt” of the accession process pending a change of policy in Tbilisi.