NATO Summit declaration omits mention of Georgia's accession possibility

Georgia in NATO declaration

In the NATO summit declaration, any mention of Georgia’s desire to join the alliance and its readiness to become a candidate has been entirely omitted. The declaration from the Washington summit, held on July 10, mentions Georgia only once in a specific section:

“We will never recognize Russia’s latest annexation of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea. We also call on Russia to withdraw all its unauthorized forces from the Republic of Moldova and from Georgia,” the declaration states.

In contrast, the declaration at the Brussels summit in 2023 allotted an entire paragraph to Georgia, expressing comprehensive support for its desire to join the alliance.

It’s also worth noting that, for example, the declaration of the 2022 Madrid summit mentioned Georgia twice.

In the current Washington summit declaration, when discussing the Balkan region, it is stated that the Black Sea also holds great strategic importance for NATO. Additionally, the declaration asserts that Ukraine’s membership in the North Atlantic Alliance is irreversible:

“As Ukraine continues its vital work, we will continue to support its irreversible path towards full Euro-Atlantic integration, including membership in NATO.”

NATO countries declare that the alliance fully supports Ukraine’s right to choose its own security measures and determine its own future.

“Ukraine’s future lies in NATO,” the declaration reads.

A week ago, POLITICO published a report, based on sources, that Trump allegedly developed a plan under which, in the event of his victory, he would compel Ukraine to negotiate with Russia and concede part of its territory, while NATO promises not to expand towards Ukraine and Georgia.

Lukas Kofey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, responded to the NATO summit declaration in Washington and wrote in X:

“Any mention of Georgia’s NATO aspirations removed from the Summit Declaration All the hard work since Bucharest in 2008 flushed down the drain thanks to the “Russian Law” Clear, tragic, and undeniable proof that the Georgian Dream has derailed Georgia’s euro-Atlantic path.”

• EU has suspended €30 million in aid to Georgia. The ambassador warned of further measures
• The US has indefinitely postponed joint military exercises with Georgia
• “Russia supports restoring diplomatic relations with Georgia,” says Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova

On July 7, 2024, it became known that the United States of America indefinitely postponed the joint U.S.-Georgian military exercises “Noble Partner 2024,” which have been conducted in Georgia since 2016. This year, the military exercises were planned for the period from July 25 to August 6.

According to an official statement from the U.S. Department of Defense, this decision was made as part of a review of bilateral relations. The statement also mentioned that the decision was prompted by “false accusations by the Georgian government against the U.S. and other Western organizations.”

The European Union has also frozen military aid to Georgia.

The EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, announced that the EU has frozen 30 million euros in aid intended to be transferred from the European Peace Fund (EPF) to Georgia’s Defense Forces.

Herczyński stated that if the situation deteriorates further, other measures will be considered. According to the ambassador, direct EU support to the Georgian government will be reduced and focused on civil society and media.

Herczyński also noted that Georgia’s accession process to the European Union is currently at a standstill. This decision was made by EU leaders at the latest European Council meeting on June 27.