US introduces legislation proposing sanctions against Georgia

Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with senior Republican Jim Risch, and Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Coons, and Lindsey Graham, have put forth a bill aimed at imposing sanctions on Georgia.

This development was conveyed by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs press service, as per TASS.

The proposal comes in response to Georgia's enactment of a bill regarding foreign agents. According to the senators, the bill seeks to hold Georgian officials and citizens accountable for corruption, violations of human rights, and actions promoting or facilitating the adoption of the foreign agents law.

Should the bill be approved, the State Department would be mandated to enforce travel restrictions on Georgian citizens and their families who engage in promoting or supporting the Foreign Agents Act. Additionally, the US administration would be obliged to impose sanctions on individuals involved in undermining Georgia's stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as those responsible for human rights abuses and corruption.

Furthermore, the senators have called on the State Department to "formulate a comprehensive strategy for Georgia, encompassing a reassessment of military aid and a halt to all funding directed towards the Georgian government."

Additionally, they have advocated for a "permanent cessation of the US-Georgian strategic dialogue." In their list of demands, the senators have proposed allocating a minimum of $50 million towards initiatives aimed at advancing democracy and upholding the rule of law in Georgia. They are urging the Washington administration to "evaluate the extent of foreign malign influence in Georgia" and to bolster support for political detainees in the country.