US Ambassador to Georgia: Tbilisi must comply with international sanctions against Russia
US Ambassador to Georgia on anti-Russian sanctions
According to the US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, it is up to the Georgian authorities to decide whether to impose sanctions on Russia or not, but Georgia has an obligation to comply with the existing anti-Russian sanctions. Also, according to the ambassador, before Russia builds and roads in Georgia, it must withdraw troops from the country. This statement refers to the talk about Russian plan to build a road connecting Chechnya and Georgia.
On March 15, in Grozny, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev met with Ramzan Kadyrov, who said that a road from Chechnya to Georgia should be built. According to the parties, this will be a road of strategic importance, which will play an important role in increasing cargo turnover from abroad to Chechnya.
In 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin also noted that this is an important project, although he said that its implementation had not been planned yet.
According to the ambassador, when discussing the sincerity of Russia’s projects and promises, it is important not to forget that it has not yet fulfilled its obligations under the 2008 agreement and has not withdrawn troops from Georgia.
“If you want to judge Russia’s sincerity in any of its promises or statements, it is enough to look at what they are doing to fulfill their obligations under the 2008 agreement”, the ambassador said.
According to Kelly Degnan, the main thing for Ukraine at this stage is the demonstration of support by the joint forces, part of which is compliance with international sanctions. She added that compliance with the imposed sanctions and their implementation is the responsibility of all countries that oppose Russian aggression. Failure to enforce these sanctions will raise the issue of liability of the countries in question.
According to Degnan, Georgia has always been a good partner in this regard and even complied with international sanctions imposed on Iran.
“I think it’s important not to confuse the issues here about what we’re talking about when we’re talking about complying with international sanctions. Georgia is complying with international sanctions. Many of the sanctions may not affect Georgia directly”, Degnan said.
- Op-ed: Who is speculating on the fear of war in Georgia and why?
- Are Russian citizens who flee their country welcome in Georgia?
Due to the invasion of Ukraine, many countries around the world imposed severe economic sanctions on Russia – famous brands left Russia, the skies over Europe have been closed for their planes, citizens have been denied access to bank accounts and cards, and oligarchs close to Putin has had their property seized in Europe. The country is currently facing an economic collapse.
However, Georgia did not join the sanctions. Moreover, as a result of the negotiations, Russia allowed Georgian enterprises to export dairy products. This has sparked outrage among the opposition and the public in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war and sanctions against Russia. Tbilisi also received a reprimand from Kiev, where such development of Georgian-Russian economic relations was described as a “stab in the back”.
As a result of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, up to 3 million people have become refugees, more than 100 children have died.
