Deputy US Ambassador to Georgia: “US stands by Georgia and Ukraine”

“The United States supports Ukraine and Georgia. It is impossible to predict exactly how events in Ukraine will unfold, but Russia will try to create some justification for the invasion”, said Rian Harris, Deputy US Ambassador to Georgia, in a special address published on the evening of February 19.

“Georgia knows Russia well, and Russian aggression is not new to you. Your own history taught you this in 1801, 1921 and 2008”, Harris said.

“Earlier this week, Russian officials said they intended to defuse the situation and withdraw troops. Unfortunately, Russia’s actions do not match their words”, the US Charge d’Affaires continued.

At the same time, the statement emphasized that the United States prefered the path of diplomacy and called on Russia to de-escalate.

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Harris recalled the statement of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken who said that “actions speak louder than words”. At least 150,000 heavily armed Russian troops and military equipment are now on standby and capable of quickly invading Ukraine.

“Russia says it is looking for a peaceful solution, but it must show this with concrete actions. The Ukrainians, like the Georgians, have decided to forge ties with the Euro-Atlantic community. No country has the right to stop them on their way to their future”, said Rian Harris.

“If Russia ignores diplomatic efforts and invades Ukraine again, it will be a ‘war of choice’. In this case, the response of the United States and its partners will be sharp and decisive”:

“We do not choose confrontation, we prefer to work together to fight the global pandemic and many other pressing common problems. Diplomacy is the only responsible way to resolve this conflict. Together we stand firm against Russian aggression”.

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Rian Harker Harris is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Counselor. She is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Georgia.

Her diplomatic experience includes work at the US Embassies in Spain, Serbia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Guatemala and Armenia, as well as the US Consulate in Russia.

From 2011 to 2012, she served in Washington as Director of National Affairs for the White House National Security Council under then President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, where where she was responsible for the Caucasus and six countries in Southern Europe. From 2010-2011, she was the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State.  

CEO title: US embassy reaffirms support for Ukraine and Georgia 

Meta Description: US embassy reaffirms support for Ukraine and Georgia, Deputy US Ambasssador to Georgia stated in a special video message on January 19. “We will stand firm against Russian agresssion”, she said  

Key word:  support for Ukraine and Georgia