Ruling party Sec-Gen accuses EU of 'blackmail' over visa-free threat, judicial sanctions

Ruling party Secretary General and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has accused the European Union of engaging in political “blackmail” following remarks by the EU’s top diplomat suggesting a possible suspension of Georgia’s visa-free travel regime and the imposition of sanctions on additional Georgian judges.

Speaking to journalists, Kaladze dismissed recent comments by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas as politically motivated and rooted in long-standing frustration with Georgia’s independent stance.

“So many lies and falsehoods are unthinkable,” Kaladze said. “All this is part of the blackmail that we have been seeing in recent years, especially since the Russian-Ukrainian war broke out. Georgia did not submit to their demands - we didn’t join the sanctions, we didn’t allow a second front to be opened in the country. They were defeated in the October parliamentary elections, so now they frame everything that’s impossible and we hear it in the form of these statements.”

Kaladze’s comments come after Kallas warned that "all options are on the table" - including suspending visa-free travel - as the EU considers how to respond to democratic backsliding in Georgia. She also echoed the European Parliament’s recommendation to impose sanctions on two additional Georgian judges deemed to be undermining judicial independence.

Kaladze insisted that Georgia would not compromise on matters of national interest.

“When it comes to Georgia’s interests, compromise is unthinkable,” he stated.