The US announced on Friday that it was suspending military maneuvers with Georgia that had been planned for the end of July. The decision comes as part of a thorough review of relations with the country in the Caucasus, which is seeking reconciliation with Russia.
The exercises were scheduled to take place from July 25 to August 6, but were “indefinitely postponed” following Georgia’s passage of a controversial foreign influence law, the Pentagon said.
In May, the United States decided to review its cooperation with Georgia. Washington has also imposed sanctions on dozens of Georgian officials over the law. “The decision to postpone the exercises was made due to the false accusations leveled by the Georgian government against the United States and others,” the Pentagon said.
Tbilisi accused it of “inducing Georgia to open a second front against Russia to reduce pressure on Ukraine.” The US is said to have participated in ‘two coups against the ruling party’. The Pentagon did not comment further on the Georgian allegations.
The US feels that ‘the moment was not right to organize a large-scale military exercise in Georgia’.
Georgia has been rocked in recent months by massive protests against the controversial foreign agents law. Among other things, the text means that companies that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from other countries must register as foreign-influenced ‘agents’. The text is inspired by a Russian law that the Kremlin has used for years to stifle dissenting voices. Georgia has been an official candidate to join the EU since the end of 2023, and also wants NATO membership.
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