Georgia's sovereignty or Western vassalage? EU aid freeze sparks debate

The European Union is considering suspending all financial aid to the Georgian government as the "foreign agents" law comes into effect, Peter Stano, EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said. "The EU remains seriously concerned about the developments in Georgia," Stano said in an interview with Europa Press.

Previously, the EU had already frozen the allocation of €30 million intended to strengthen Georgia's defence capabilities. These funds will now be redirected to Georgian non-governmental organizations.

 Stano also noted that the EU has reduced political contacts with the Georgian authorities, "except for those aimed at finding a solution to the current situation."

Additionally, the EU has decided to suspend the process of Georgia's integration with the EU.

It's intriguing to consider how this process might conclude. Will the cooling of relations with Europe and the West continue? Could this lead the current Georgian leadership to reorient their foreign policy, abandoning the pro-Western development trajectory of the country?

To clarify these issues, Georgian experts provided their insights at the request of Caliber.Az.

Shota Apkhaidze, political scientist, director of the Center for Islamic Studies of the Caucasus, expert of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, believes that the EU's decision is essentially a form of tautology.

"They are echoing the Americans, who have already frozen $95 million allocated by the Biden administration to various civil institutions in Georgia. This issue needs a more detailed examination. It's clear that Peter Stano is not the only European official claiming that Georgia is supposedly deviating from democratic principles, abandoning the Euro-Atlantic and European integration course, and no longer adhering to the norms of democracy and reforms allegedly conducted for the sake of human rights and civil society. All of this can be called absolute idiocy. In reality, the author of these narratives is Antony Blinken, along with other members of the Biden administration and several senators.

Senator Ben Cardin has called on all Western entities — American and European — to cease aiding Georgia, to stop all tranches, grants, etc. They believe that this is how they punish us," the pundit noted.

However, there is a logical response to this move, he noted.

"If they do not wish to cooperate with us on an equal basis according to international law and view us as a vassal state, then we do not need any aid or European integration. Essentially, Georgian leaders, including Parliament Speaker Papuashvili and Prime Minister Kobakhidze, have openly stated that the $95 million allocated by the US and the €30 million allocated by the EU never actually went into Georgia's budget.

Similarly, the billions previously spent by the Americans in Georgia did not go into our budget. We are a sovereign country, and our budget is composed of taxes collected within Georgia. It is strange that they think we are dependent on them or that their money funded our government apparatus. Of course not. Neither the police, the army, nor other institutions were financed by their money. Their funds were directed towards NGOs, fueling political processes in their interests. Therefore, the cessation of such funding will not negatively impact us; on the contrary, it will be positive in that there will be fewer subversive organizations acting in the interests of the US and the EU against our state and constitutional order.

"We have declared a pro-Western course, but if the West itself is unwilling to adhere to its principles and demonstrates a dismissive attitude towards us, then what is the benefit of pursuing such a path? What advantages does it truly offer us?" Apkhaidze questioned.

Political scientist and founder of the SIKHA Foundation research center Archil Sikharulidze noted that the decisions of the EU and the US are not related to the level of democracy in Georgia.

"It seems to me that even those among our people who affiliate themselves with the West do not appreciate hearing claims that Moldova and Ukraine are ahead of Georgia in democratic indicators. All of this is part of an election campaign. The EU and the Americans want to pressure Georgian voters and warn them that if they vote for a government that the EU currently dislikes (but previously supported), there will be consequences," he says.

The problem is that these are not sums or investments on which Georgia truly depends, which could severely impact the country or without which it would cease to exist, the researcher underlined.

"Georgia can easily diversify and obtain those tens of millions of dollars that the EU and the US are now saying will be given to our NGOs. The notion that Georgia would collapse as a country without the help of American and European partners simply doesn't reflect reality. These are all symbolic gestures.

Bidzina Ivanishvili himself could cover all of this from his own funds. Similar amounts can be obtained from Türkiye, China, or Arab countries. So, there are alternatives. Unfortunately, many of our colleagues who create the narrative for Western representatives in Georgia are telling them 'fairy tales.' They claim that 'all of Georgia' is unconditionally ready to do anything for Western development. This is just a myth," the political scientist asserted.

From the West's perspective, the political scientist says, their statements are aimed at convincing the deep state in Georgia not to vote for the "Georgian Dream" party.

"However, the more the West claims that Ukraine is a greater democracy than Georgia, the more it will irritate people. This will increase the sense of injustice because Georgia has implemented far more reforms than other post-Soviet countries, yet it is being criticized for not wanting to revisit certain issues. This sentiment will grow stronger, and such actions by the West will only fuel anti-Western sentiments.

The West is now making the same naive mistakes that Russia once made when it told Georgian partners and the population that Georgia would fail without Russia. Likewise, Georgia will not fail without the West. The more this rhetoric is used, the greater the desire will be to diversify Georgia's foreign policy," Sikharulidze emphasized.