No images? Click here
Weekend Reads
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili spoke virtually at Hudson amid mass demonstrations against the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party’s suppression of political opposition and its pivot away from the European Union.
Afterward, Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) and an expert panel explained why supporting Georgians who are courageously standing up against Russian influence is in the United States’ interest. Key excerpts are below.
Key Insights
1. The Russia-China-Iran axis is expanding its influence in Georgia and the region.
If this Russian strategy were to win, it would be other countries that would be winning over this part of the world. China has very many interests linked with the ruling party. . . . We have seen the Georgian prime minister of the ruling party, Mr. Kobakhidze, going to Iran and siding with terrorist organizations. So, that is at stake. Not only democracy, not only Georgia’s future as a European country, but . . . the strategic control of this part of the world, of this Caucasus and of this Black Sea—because [the] Ukraine war is also about the Black Sea. . . . All of that is under challenge and threat by Russia in what it’s trying to do today in Georgia.
— President Salome Zourabichvili
2. Georgian Dream is aligned with Russia and China, and the US should not recognize its suspicious election victory.
We know that this regime corruptly gave the contract of a major deep-sea port to the Chinese Communist Party against bids of the EU and the United States. [Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili] seeks to sell out Georgia and the Georgian people for the benefit of his dictatorship, which is maintained by rule of gun, instead of democracy, by rule of law. As war criminal [Vladimir] Putin continues his efforts to recreate the failed Soviet Union, the Georgian people want freedom. They show over and over again they are now in over 40 days of protests with [a] simple demand: free and fair elections.
— Representative Joe Wilson
3. The US has options to protect its interests in the region.
We need decisive action. I think we need bold action. We use our veto power inside NATO to block further cooperation at the NATO level with Georgia. This breaks my heart to say this as someone who’s spent more than a decade advocating for NATO [and] Georgia getting closer, but the situation warrants this. We should continue with our suspension of US-Georgian military cooperation. Again, it saddens me to say this. The Georgian military on a per capita basis suffered more casualties in Afghanistan than any country in the world when we were there. But we are at a point that, because of the illegitimate government, we cannot cooperate militarily with Georgia any longer. . . . We have to decide what is in America’s interest, what we want to do, and then we have to do it.
— Senior Fellow Luke Coffey
Go Deeper
Luke Coffey explains Georgia’s importance to America’s global interests and gives five recommendations for the US to respond to Georgian Dream’s illegitimate and anti-Western governance.
Amid the previous round of anti–Georgian Dream demonstrations, Luke Coffey spoke to activist and former member of the Georgian parliament Nona Mamulashvili, on the streets of Tbilisi, and Georgian Legion Commander Mamuka Mamulashvili, on the front lines of the war in Ukraine.
President-elect Donald Trump has made it clear that his vision for America is attaining peace through strength, writes Nadia Schadlow. She explains President Trump’s four leadership qualities that position him to advance this vision amid global challenges.
Act Now
Be a part of promoting American leadership and engagement for a secure, free, and prosperous future for us all.
