US undersecretary of state in Tbilisi: attacks on US Ambassador, Embassy part of large disinformation scheme

Bonnie Jenkins, the United States undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, said on Thursday that recent attacks by former MPs of the ruling Georgian Dream party on US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan and the Embassy “is a part of a large disinformation campaign”. 

Speaking to the media after arriving in Tbilisi on an official visit, the US official said that she would deliver Washington’s messages to top Georgian figures. 

Jenkins said that the disinformation campaign aimed to “cover up the truth about the crisis in Europe that was created by one man”. 

“Throughout the meetings, I look forward to conveying a message of strong support from Washington for the tremendous and important work that Ambassador Degnen and her embassy team are doing in Georgia to support and advance Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and to the Government of Georgia’s willingness to cooperate with us to solve these issues,” she said.

Members of the ruling party started to leave the party on June 28 with the motive of “telling the truth”. 

Dimitri Khundadze, Sozar Subari, Mikheil Kavelashvili and Guram Macharashvili have been talking about the negative role of the US in their jointly issued statements since then. 

According to them, part of the American funding was used for campaigns against the Georgian government and the church. 

The MPs have also accused the embassy of “dragging Georgia into Russia’s war in Ukraine” and exerting pressure on a judge. 

Degnan dismissed the allegations and said that the close strategic partnership between the US and Georgia “has brought great benefits to both countries”. 

“Over the past 30 years, we have provided more than six billion dollars in aid to Georgia, thousands of Georgians have participated in exchange programs, and the United States has trained tens of thousands of Georgian soldiers to better protect Georgia’s borders. Georgia is safer, more prosperous, and more democratic because of our partnership, and we look forward to continuing our cooperation”, she said. 

A chairman of the ruling party, Irakli Kobakhidze, stated that accusing the former ruling party MPs of spreading the Kremlin’s messages by Degnan was “insulting”.