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Current Situation
 

• For the past week, hundreds of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets to protest the Georgian Dream government. While the protests have been centered in Tbilisi, large-scale demonstrations are taking place across the country, including in Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, and Gori. Large rallies (by local standards) have also been taking place in smaller towns that have no track record of such activity, like Khashuri, Kareli, and Zestaphoni.
• These protests are driven by several grievances: (1) the Georgian Dream government’s recent announcement that it will suspend European Union membership talks until 2028, (2) the questionable administration of the October parliamentary elections, (3) mounting controversy surrounding the government’s current nominee for the presidency, and (4) the government’s heavy-handed treatment of protesters, which has included beating, detaining, and arresting protesters and the reckless use of tear gas and water cannons in freezing temperatures.

Why the US Should Care about Georgia
 

• Georgia’s struggle is part of the wider geopolitical struggle between Russia and the West.  In recent years, Georgian Dream has adopted a decidedly pro-Kremlin worldview, denounced Western sanctions against Moscow, increased Georgia’s economic relations with Russia, and blamed the war in Ukraine on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The party has remained in control thanks to power consolidation efforts that seek to undermine legitimate political opposition, civil society, and the media. Georgians are standing up to Russia, a noble cause that aligns with the United States’ national interest.
• Georgia’s strategic location makes it important for US objectives in Eurasia. Georgia sits at a crucial geographical and cultural crossroads in the South Caucasus and has remained militarily and economically vital for centuries. Oil and gas pipelines that pass through the country are particularly important to Europe’s energy security and therefore to US interests as well.
• Georgia demonstrates the importance of national sovereignty. Georgia represents the idea that sovereign nations should determine their own paths. Georgians should decide who their country’s allies are, who their leaders are, and how they are governed. No outside actor (in this case, Russia) can veto another country’s participation in organizations like the EU or NATO.
• The US needs to restore its respect in Georgia. Georgian Dream officials have publicly attacked or mocked multiple US ambassadors, members of Congress, and other senior US officials who support the Georgian people.
• The Georgian people have stood with the US in the past. Before Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia, it had the second most troops in Iraq after the US. And on a per capita basis, Georgia lost more soldiers in Afghanistan than any other nation. At the height of Georgia’s participation in that war, the country had more than 2,000 troops deployed to some of the deadliest places in the country, if not the world, in the Helmand and Kandahar Provinces.

Time for Action

In coordination with the European Union and the United Kingdom, the US should:

• Encourage snap elections in spring 2025 under international supervision. The US should not recognize the legitimacy of the Georgian parliament and should support President Salome Zourabichvili’s efforts to hold new elections and create a new central election commission.
• Target Georgian Dream leaders and pro-regime security forces with sanctions and travel bans. At a minimum, the US should implement the same sanctions that Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia recently levied against Georgian officials. All sanctioned officials should be named publicly. The US should also consider the use of the Magnitsky Act. To go further, Congress could bring the MEGOBARI Act and the Georgian People’s Act to a vote before the legislative session adjourns.
• Downgrade the US diplomatic presence in Georgia until there is a legitimate government in Tbilisi. The US should replace its ambassador to Tbilisi with a chargé d’affaires. And Washington should not accept the credentials for a new Georgian ambassador after the previous one courageously resigned in protest against Georgian Dream’s actions.
• Suspend all US-Georgia military cooperation until there is a legitimate government in place. This should include joint training exercises, military education programs, and the National Guard State Partnership Program between Tbilisi and the US state of Georgia.
• Block NATO-Georgia engagement until there is a legitimate government in place. This should include (1) meetings of the NATO-Georgia Commission, (2) the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, (3) the Defence Institution Building School, and (4) Georgia’s participation in the NATO Response Force.
• Collect and collate information about Georgian security service personnel involved in the unlawful crackdown on peaceful protesters. The US State Department and the Department of Homeland Security should allow social media users to submit evidence anonymously through a secure website to identify security personnel involved in the repression. The US, UK, and EU should use this information to vet future applications for entry.
• Ensure that US Agency for International Development (USAID) funds allocated for Georgia support America’s national interest. The US has already paused $95 million in foreign aid programs that directly support the Georgian Dream government. In addition, the US should use USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives to rapidly increase aid to pro-democracy civil society groups and independent media organizations.