US diplomat, former senior US State Department official and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council [an American think tank] Daniel Fried said in an interview with Voice of America that Georgia is self-isolating and the government is well aware of the country’s problem on its way to the European Union.
“I have said many times that Georgia has every right to pursue a cautious policy towards Moscow. I never said that Georgia should become a supplier of weapons to Ukraine. I understand Georgia’s vulnerability, but the problem is whether the Georgian government is trying to do what, for example, Moldova is doing – to reduce its vulnerability, its dependence on Russia while it wages an aggressive war. Georgia seems to be doing exactly the opposite – strengthening ties with Russia. But Moldova does not.
I don’t understand how Georgia is acting. It is actually making itself more vulnerable to Russian pressure by isolating herself from longtime friends. America does not criticize Georgia for being cautious in dealing with Russia, or for being or not a member of the CIS. The problem is that the Georgian government got to this point where it is now, as a result of its own actions of an authoritarian nature and the use of issues that cause controversy in society in order to promote its authoritarian agenda and side with Moscow in important social or political moments.
Explanations from the Georgian government will not help. It knows perfectly well what its problem is on the way to the EU. These are its own actions. Yes, the geographical position of Moldova favors it more than Georgia. But the Georgian government certainly has a choice, room to maneuver, and it is making relatively poor choices. I hope it makes the best decision.
