Michael Carpenter: “Georgia’s democracy and future are at stake”

Michael Carpenter, the White House National Security Council’s Director for Europe, expressed deep concern about Georgia’s current political crisis in an interview with Voice of America. He warned that everything Georgia has worked toward for years is now hanging in the balance.

“Georgia’s democracy and future are at stake. What we see happening in the streets is alarming—violence, government-backed actors, so-called titushki attacking protesters, journalists, and students. This is deeply disturbing. It’s not behavior we should witness in a democratic country,” Carpenter stated.

He underscored the gravity of the situation, emphasizing that Georgia’s aspirations for EU and NATO membership, as well as its security, prosperity, and integration with Europe and the West, are now at risk.

“Everything Georgia has strived for over decades—its future in the European Union, its future in NATO, its safety and well-being, and its integration with Europe and the West—is now in question,” Carpenter concluded.