USA suspends planned military exercises with Georgia
The USA have suspended planned joint military exercises with Georgia against the backdrop of tensions with the government of the Caucasus republic. The participation of the US Army in the maneuvers named "Noble Partner," originally scheduled between July 25 and August 6, has been "postponed indefinitely," the Defense Department in Washington announced on Friday. The background was "false accusations" from the Tbilisi government.
The Pentagon referred to statements that the US pressured Georgia to wage war against Russia and was involved in "two coup attempts" against the government. The US government therefore decided that the "large-scale military exercise in Georgia" was "inappropriate at this time."
Relations between Washington and Tbilisi have deteriorated significantly in recent months - especially since the Georgian parliament, at the initiative of the ruling party Georgian Dream, passed a law against "foreign influence" in early June despite mass protests. Western countries view the legislation, whose model is a Russian law against "foreign agents," as a gag for government-critical media and organizations.
In May, the US restricted visa issuance to people who are responsible for or involved in "undermining democracy" in Georgia - as well as their family members. Additionally, Washington announced a "comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation."
In Georgia, which has been an EU membership candidate since last December, the government has been accused of wanting to bring the country closer to Russia for months.
The allegations of US pressure to prompt Georgia into war against Russia and involvement in two alleged coup attempts against its government contributed to the USA's decision to postpone the "Noble Partner" military exercises indefinitely. Despite being a EU membership candidate since December, Georgia's relationship with the USA has faced significant strain due to recent political developments.
