Georgia gets rid of being victim: West fills gap with Armenia

The United States is suspending a program of assistance to Georgia for more than $ 95 million as part of a review of cooperation in connection with the adoption by Tbilisi of the law on foreign agents. This was stated last week by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. The Secretary of State announced that "the anti-democratic actions and false statements of the Georgian government are incompatible with the norms of EU and NATO membership," and promised, nevertheless, that Washington will continue to provide some assistance that will help the citizens of Georgia.

As you know, in previous years Georgia was among the post-Soviet countries that received the largest allocations. And in 2025, it was supposed to become the second in Europe in this regard, having received 116.5 million from the United States. But that's unlikely to happen now. The planned allocations for the current year are already in question.

A representative of the State Department at a hearing in the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee made some clarity in Blinken's words about what kind of assistance America is going to save for Georgians. This is "everything that will contribute to [holding] free and fair elections this fall" and will make it clear to the Georgian Dream the real consequences of such a policy."

The last statement sounds like an open threat. Not only in Georgia, but also in the United States, are preparing for the Georgian parliamentary elections. The United States is preparing to interfere in the affairs of another state in the best traditions - using blackmail and manipulating the country's problems. Georgia, of course, has problems, but the American side clearly wants to create the impression that they will become critical and even catastrophic if aid from overseas stops. In Georgia, the reaction to this was quite restrained. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said he did not know what kind of financial assistance was in question, but assured that "this amount was not really included in the budget." "We are not a backward country that is subsidized by another state. It is also important that a feeling was introduced into our society that someone, somewhere, had stopped financing us and this would be a disaster," Papuashvili said.

According to Georgian sources, US aid is usually directed to the implementation of American projects in the field of "strengthening democracy and human rights." Part of the appropriations stopped by Washington goes to the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, known as the Richard Lugar Center in Tbilisi. This institution has been the object of criticism from the Russian side for many years, claiming that biological weapons are being developed in American biological laboratories, which are used against Russia. It is noteworthy that the current Lugar Center was originally created as a military laboratory. In 2004, a corresponding document was signed between the Georgian Defense Ministry and Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Richard Lugar. It was stated that "Georgian scientists, together with the military, will provide a worthy partnership between the United States and European states in fruitful cooperation on the non-proliferation of biological weapons and the prevention of biological danger." At that time, Georgia was an outpost of the United States in the South Caucasus, and Russia quite reasonably did not believe in the words about the Americans' concern for the health of the Georgian people. The Georgian opposition considers the termination of funding a disaster for the healthcare system, arguing that American projects "support public health and preventive medicine both in the country and in the whole Caucasus."..

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien, speaking at a hearing in the Senate Committee, said that Washington is considering imposing other sanctions against Tbilisi. He did not detail in detail the upcoming punitive measures, mentioning only the notorious Magnitsky act. At the same time, O'Brien hinted that the ruling Georgian Dream still has a "way back".

And what happens if Tbilisi still does not reverse course and does not back down for the sake of continuing American assistance and the appearance of a "European choice"? According to Georgian sources, a plan for another "color revolution" is being developed in this case. According to available information, relevant groups are currently being established in the Baltic States. The three Baltic countries are entrusted with the task of "saving" Georgia.

Recall that in May, during violent protests in Tbilisi, Georgia was unexpectedly visited without invitation by the Foreign ministers of Latvia, Estonia, Iceland and Lithuania, as well as the chairmen of the parliamentary committees on foreign affairs of Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania and Finland. This landing force landed in Tbilisi as a sign of support for the "struggle for the European future." The foreign ministers of foreign states spoke at the rally, met with representatives of NGOs, campaigned and called. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis from the rostrum asked the Georgians the question "Where are we going?", which is a violation of both diplomatic protocol and all possible international norms. However, such a blatant attempt to brazenly correct the policy of official Tbilisi did not yield results. The law on foreign agents was passed, and a well-orchestrated protest wave fell apart, without leading to a coup or the voluntary resignation of the government. But, as practice shows, the screenwriters are unlikely to forgive the "Georgian Dream" this embarrassment. The foreign ministers were landed in Tbilisi in order to lead the crowds and put an end to Georgia's attempts to get out from under someone else's umbrella and follow an independent course. Decades

of "European choice" have not produced the expected results. The hopes and aspirations of the Georgian people associated with the patronage of the United States have not been realized. The West did not become a defense against external aggression, it helped when the country was on the verge of crisis. And today he is quietly watching the prison epic of Mikhail Saakashvili. The very West, whose officials do not sleep at night because of thoughts about Araik, Rubik and Bako.

Attempts to return Georgia to its former tracks have been made since March last year. The law on foreign agents has caused a surge of indignation in the collective West, although many countries in this "sector" have similar legislation and strictly prohibit external financing of individuals and organizations. Non-interference in the internal affairs of States is an unshakable norm of international law. And there are no amendments to it, which would indicate that it does not concern the Powers. Interference in Georgia's affairs, attempts to turn it into a channel of control over the region have led to the fact that various kinds of "revolutions" have become almost commonplace for this country. Those who care about the fate of Georgia understand that the current authorities must resist and not succumb to blackmail in order to put an end to the series of "revolutions". A truly independent State should not succumb to pressure, no matter what it costs.

When the opposition rose up against the law on foreign agents a year ago, it was expected that the authorities would save. The protest wave was powerful and many predicted even another "revolution". Although the government withdrew the bill at that time in order not to inflame passions, the very fact of resistance caused discontent, and, as Georgian sources write, even then the American side began to form a scenario for a change of power. Shalva Papuashvili, referring to secret investigations by the security service, openly stated that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) financed the planned coup scenario through special groups and local organizations sent to the country.

Preparations are reportedly underway for a third coup attempt. To prevent such a development, Tbilisi has only one option - to obey and cling to the hand. Simply revoking the law will no longer help, because the former patrons are very annoyed by the independent behavior of the ruling team. So far, no one has allowed themselves to do this. Meanwhile, judging by the statements of Georgian officials, Tbilisi does not intend to fall into someone's hands.

In fact, the law on foreign agents does not pose any threat to democracy and everything else. However, he puts a barrier in front of those who for decades uncontrollably and purposefully turned the country into an outpost, feeding the Georgian people with promises. Georgia has been waiting for the mercy of the European Union for almost twenty years, longer than all other post-Soviet countries (not counting the Baltic States) that have set their sights on Europe. She received the status of a candidate in December last year - the last one. Despite the fact that Georgia was the only one who was really ready to integrate into the EU in all respects, it was fed with promises.

The Georgian side quite logically asks critics a simple question: why is it that in the United States, the European Union, and many leading countries the adoption of laws on foreign agents is considered the order of things, but in Georgia this issue has been turned by external actors into a tool of manipulation? The same USA has had similar legislation for almost a hundred years. Last December, the Directive on foreign agents was adopted by the European Commission. However, no one talks in these cases about a "blow to democracy" and a "departure from the European path."

The fact that Georgia's adoption of a law aimed at eliminating external threats to its security caused such a violent reaction and sanctions against Tbilisi says only one thing: this step by the Georgian government violated someone's plans and violated them very seriously. And it's not just about the law. Rather, it became an excuse to launch an offensive against the Georgian government. Georgia showed disobedience even when it refused to join the sanctions against Russia after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Although Georgia has its own scores with Moscow, the government has wisely judged that joining the sanctions would hit the Georgian economy and security. Who will help the country in this case? Not the collective West, which had already thrown Georgia to the mercy in 2008. And it was during the period of Saakashvili's government, which was loyal to the West.

Today it is already noticeable that the United States is "losing" Georgia. And now they are trying to replace it with Armenia. The Armenian authorities are foolishly triumphant. Yerevan is ready to do whatever the new guardians wish, without thinking at all about the consequences.

There is also such a moment - having lost the playground in the person of Georgia, the United States loses the opportunity to interfere in the affairs of the region as a whole. Armenia will not be able to become a complete replacement. It is no secret that a funding channel for Azerbaijani NGOs and grant-eaters, who were left without the support of employers after the adoption of relevant legislation in Azerbaijan, passed through Georgia. Baku brought order to this area, blocking the possibility of creating an anti-state network in the country, and foreign structures interested in continuing destructive activities had to look for other ways. In particular, through Georgia. Funds for the anti-state network were smuggled, in the truest sense of the word. The foreign-funded Institute of Public Affairs of Georgia (GIPA), which has also been training personnel for Armenia and Azerbaijan for a long time, was involved in the schemes of secret financing of Azerbaijani "revolutionaries".

The current Government of Georgia wants to put an end to this practice. He's going to have a hard time. We remember what happened in Azerbaijan when our country set a course to squeeze out foreign influence. Taking advantage of the war and the crisis, the agents of this influence managed to take root in the republic, and in order to get rid of this threat, many difficulties had to be overcome, including massive attacks by the "democratic world".

But everything ends sometime. Georgia needs to stand up and defend its right to independence. The Georgian people have been fighting for this for thirty years.