US Secretary of State called Georgian Dream-led government 'anti-American force'

Secretary of State Rubio criticizes Georgian Dream

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Georgian government “anti-American.”

Responding to a question from Congressman Joe Wilson during a session of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rubio stated that they would “take action” against the ruling Georgian Dream party.

This marks the first official statement on Georgia made by a representative of President Donald Trump’s administration.

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“It’s unclear why U.S. sanctions against Georgia’s vice prime minister and other officials remain in place”

“The goal of the United States is our national interest. So we will look at that and say: is it in our national interest to have an anti-American government governing an important part of the world? And if not, we’ll take appropriate actions to impose costs on that government,” Rubio said.

He further noted that it’s “currently under review,” and “we’re looking for options and additional options. I have no announcement today specifically on what we plan to do yet, but I can tell you that, that it’s something that’s being discussed.”

“And again, a great example of why we’re going to look to our regional bureaus and our local office on the ground there to provide us guidance as to what are the measures that the government, the anti-American government, would be most responsive to,” Rubio said.

On May 13, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze from the Georgian Dream party sent an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, pointing out that there have been no high-level contacts between the governments of Georgia and the United States so far.

The letter also notes that it is “unclear” why sanctions remain in place against Georgia’s Deputy Prime Minister and other government officials who, according to the letter, effectively suppressed a “USAID-planned and -funded attempt at revolution orchestrated by former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration.“

According to Kobakhidze, “in Georgian society, there is a growing sense that Trump’s statements about defeating the ‘deep state’ are merely an attempt to rebrand it – nothing more.”

During the hearing Joe Wilson accused the Georgian Dream of “rigging the October 26 elections and kicking out American companies, blocking trade and mineral access to the Middle Corridor, and selling Georgia to the Chinese Communist Party,” as well as “repeatedly smearing President Trump and American leadership.”

Rubio’s remarks come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tbilisi over the democratic backsliding, GD’s intensified repression, and anti-Western rhetoric. On May 6, the House of Representatives passed the MEGOBARI Act that calls for sanctions against Georgian Dream officials with bipartisan support.

“US sanctions will deal a heavy blow to Ivanishvili’s regime” – comment from Tbilisi

Giorgi Rukhadze: “Sanctions alone will not be enough to make the regime back down”

News in Georgia