Pentagon spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder has refuted claims from representatives of Georgia’s ruling party that Western partners, including the United States, were attempting to drag Georgia into the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking with Voice of America, Ryder emphasized that it was Russia, not the US, that was escalating tensions in the region.
“Russia is the one who is trying to escalate the tension,” Ryder stated in response to the allegations. He highlighted that America valued its long-standing bilateral relations with Georgia and remained committed to dialogue, despite the “disturbing rhetoric” suggesting otherwise.”Unfortunately, the decision to postpone [Noble Partner] exercises, to cancel them, has been made due to the fact that we have seen very disturbing rhetoric involving false statements as if the United States of America was deliberately trying to escalate tensions in the region, which is absolutely false,” Ryder explained.
Ryder reiterated the importance of the US-Georgia partnership and assured continued efforts to engage bilaterally. “We value our partnership. They [Georgia] play an important role in the region and we will continue to focus on that,” he said.
