The ruling Georgian Dream’s political council on Friday reacted to potential US sanctions on politicians and their families due to the controversial foreign influence bil, emphasizing that “no form of blackmail” could compel them to compromise Georgia's sovereignty and security. The statement highlighted that sanctions were “counterproductive and detrimental to those imposing them”.

The ruling party criticized the recent statement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, describing the threat of visa restrictions as an attempt to “undermine Georgia's independence”. "The statement made on behalf of Antony Blinken and the blackmail with visa restrictions are nothing but a crude attempt to limit the independence and sovereignty of Georgia," the political council declared.

The council noted that despite the US imposing sanctions on officials from two EU candidate countries, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, these countries continued their EU accession processes without delay.

"In the name of United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, it was announced the possible imposition of visa restrictions against the representatives of the Georgian government, which is a continuation of the anti-Georgian rhetoric that we have been hearing since 2012 and which was especially intensified in 2021-2022. The policy of blackmail and threats against Georgia does not correspond not only to the spirit of strategic partnership but also to the general spirit of partnership that should be established between the two sovereign states," the statement continued.

The political council expressed indignation that these threats coincided with Georgia's upcoming national independence day celebrations. They called this an unprecedented event in world politics, where an official of one country threatened a lawmaker of another country with sanctions for voting on a transparency law. They emphasized that similar transparency laws existed in stricter forms in the US, France, and other countries without attracting sanctions.

The council condemned the imposition of sanctions on family members, labeling it a "fascist-Bolshevik phenomenon" not seen since the mid-20th century. They highlighted a recent incident where European Commissioners allegedly used the example of a terrorist attack to intimidate Georgian officials.

The statement also recalled that visa restrictions were previously imposed on Georgian judges “without justification”. They claimed, despite these restrictions, the judiciary continues to function effectively, with the Strasbourg court affirming the fairness of Georgian judicial decisions.

In conclusion, the GD reaffirmed their commitment to their country's sovereignty and security, rejecting any form of blackmail or threats. They called for “pragmatic actions”, stating, "no amount of blackmail can force us to take a step against our country. In such a situation, sanctions are only counterproductive and harm the sanctioner himself."