US Senators condemn Georgia’s Government ever EU suspension, protest crackdown

Six senior US senators have voiced “serious concern” over Georgia’s democratic backsliding, following a conversation with President Salome Zourabichvili. The bipartisan group included Ben Cardin, Jeanne Shaheen, Jim Risch, Chris Coons, Lindsey Graham, and Dick Durbin.

The senators condemned the Georgian government’s decision to suspend its European Union accession agenda and the violent response to peaceful protests. “We conveyed our bipartisan support for President Zourabichvili’s leadership and expressed concern over the brutal crackdown on protests,” their statement said.

They warned that the move ignored the aspirations of most Georgians and reaffirmed bipartisan US support for the country’s pro-European future. The group also welcomed the Biden administration’s plans to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for violence and for undermining Georgia’s institutions.

“The coming days are critical for Georgia’s future,” the senators said, urging the US to uphold its long-standing commitment to Georgia’s democracy.

The statement follows mounting international criticism of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s Georgian Dream Party, which faces accusations of stalling EU integration and suppressing dissent.